“Why are you doing this?” asked John. “I mean, you claimed responsibility for the Calgary Disaster, sure, but that doesn’t mean you owe the whole world this debt of Karma.” Zhao Gang nodded, not denying the logic of the statement. His question was quite perceptive. Zhao Gang appreciated it. As an expert cultivator, it was quite rare for him to even speak to a mortal, much less make friends with one. It was gratifying to know John was worth the effort.

“I set up my school in Seattle because of the Calgary Disaster, but I didn’t decide to start a school because of it. I am responsible for the situation Earth is in. I took the natural energy that would normally shape this world, allowing it to become what it is. If I simply leave now, then all I have accomplished is to inadvertently craft a treasure for someone else to pluck. I won’t deny there is great value here for me, but my Karma is not just with the Pacific Northwest or even the Americas in general. Earth is what it is because I made it that way, no matter how unintentionally.” John just nodded, accepting the explanation, though he got the feeling Zhao Gang was still hiding something. They stood in silence for a long time, John staring at the mountain that was now showing signs of shifting and crumbling, its internal stability ruined by the giant gash that had been hewn in it.

“So I’m just supposed to be okay with you turning a bunch of kids into these magical super-soldiers?” John’s voice had turned as grim as Zhao Gang’s had been. He could imagine the future for these students, one where they fought an endless war desperately trying to fend off invaders until it all caught up with them.

Zhao Gang, to John’s bewilderment, laughed at his question. “Soldiers? No, not in any sense. Cultivators don’t do well taking orders. When they follow it’s because they choose to, because they see some benefit for themselves or because it aligns with their desires. Cultivators, in general, make poor soldiers. And if you’re worried about them being forced into some bad bargain, let me put your mind at ease. Cultivation requires one thing above all else - a Dao heart. Call it desire, or resolve, or will, but without an active and determined pursuit of the Dao, one is not a cultivator. If any of our students desire to live a different life all they have to do is say so. We will not keep any who is unwilling - it would be a pointless waste of resources.”

“But I doubt our students will choose to simply leave. Instead, we expect many to choose to follow non-martial Daos. We would indeed prefer they choose the martial Dao, but it is far from the only path to the Heavenly Dao. Some will become artists, some will become craftsmen. Some may even become scientists. Few paths are truly powerless when it comes time to defend themselves and all will be important for the future success of the sect.”

Silence descended again as John lost himself in his thoughts once more. Eventually, he found himself examining the events that he had witnessed in detail. He knew that this was a rare opportunity to get his questions answered. If there was anything he wanted to know, he needed to ask now. “Tell me why you let the Department of Health walk all over you and the school. It doesn’t make sense. They couldn’t have forced you to comply. So why play along with their games?” This time his tone was of genuine confusion. He turned to face Zhao Gang, obviously wanting to gauge the other’s reaction. “Why didn’t you just modify their memories and send them away?”

Zhao Gang gave John a small, understanding smile before he returned the question. “Why do you think we played along?”

The Principal thought about it for a few moments before shrugging. “It’s obvious that you don’t intend to keep all of this a secret forever. If you did you wouldn’t be telling me. The best reason I can come up with is that you want to be seen as law-abiding and compliant, as a person and organization that aren’t a threat.”

“That,” Zhao Gang said seriously, pointing his finger at John, “Is naïve. You know perfectly well that nothing I do will keep them from viewing us as a threat. Me, my disciples, even the students, all of us wield or will wield enormous personal power. Such power will inevitably threaten the foundations of your governments. They won’t ignore that.” Zhao Gang paused before nodding slowly. “But I will admit that maintaining good relations with the mortal governments is a side benefit of my actions. It was not my primary purpose, however, nor even a secondary one. If I simply wanted to avoid problems with the mortal governments, wiping their memories would have been a far simpler solution.”

John nodded, his brain spinning as he tried to fit together the puzzle pieces he had. No matter how he looked at it, Zhao Gang just didn’t have a reason to comply with the investigation. “I’m stumped,” John admitted finally.

The admission got a genuine chuckle from Zhao Gang. “That’s because you’re looking at it wrong. To be blunt, I couldn’t care less what the mortal governments thought of me. The school’s reputation is important, but given how important it and its students are going to be in the future, having a poor reputation would be survivable.” Zhao Gang looked at John for a long moment before he sighed and continued.

“How do you teach respect for something?” Zhao Gang asked. John started to respond but Zhao Gang didn’t give him a chance, continuing without pause. “I could have taken a group of students somewhere else, somewhere that overflowed with natural energy and cultivation resources. I could have spent a couple of hundred years making them into exceptional cultivators, taught them everything they needed to know to not only survive but to build a sect which could protect Earth in the long term. I didn’t need to gather all my disciples and bring them to Earth. I didn’t have to buy land and build a school. All I needed to do was train a few cultivators from Earth and let them loose.”

“What do you think would have happened if I had done that?” asked Zhao Gang. This time John didn’t even try to answer. “I’ll tell you, John. When I returned them to Earth and left them there, they would have felt trapped and abandoned. Instead of focusing their efforts on protecting Earth, they would have devoted themselves to leaving it. Oh, some might stay, but the vast majority would have no intrinsic loyalty or respect for their place of birth. They would be strangers and in all likelihood, they would resent Earth as a burden they had been shackled with.”

Zhao Gang shook his head. “No,” he said fiercely, the fire of his conviction obvious. “They needed more than nostalgia and empty words. They needed not only a connection but an example. ‘Playing along’, as you call it, wasn’t for the benefit of the mortals but the students. I’m showing them that I respect the mortals and their ways, their laws, their government. I’m showing them what it means to respect those things. If we, my disciples and I, simply told them to respect your culture but ignored it ourselves, do you think they would do so when they had the power to do otherwise? They wouldn’t, I assure you. By providing examples, ideally many examples over the years to come, we will instill in them instinctive respect for your world and its culture.”

“Earth will require generations of cultivators, cultivators that these children will be teaching. If they see themselves as different, as outsiders, then the only possible outcome will be an escalating series of conflicts between mortals and cultivators. In that scenario, regardless of who wins, what we are trying to preserve will be lost. I will have wasted all the time and effort I have put into defending it.”

John nodded slowly, his face blank as his mind whirled, pieces clicking into place as he envisioned the world Zhao Gang described. He was right – the governments of the world, all the mortals of Earth, really, would view cultivators as a threat. At best they would be a necessary evil. At worst they would be enemies of the highest order. What category they landed in would largely depend on how the students conducted themselves. Regardless of how they were raised there would be conflict - that was unavoidable. But if the students lacked real respect for the mortal governments the two sides would quickly become irreconcilable.

He turned his gaze back to the mountain and took a good look. It was a vivid example of the power his students would wield in the future. If Zhao Gang was telling the truth it was not only necessary but inevitable. Assuming that was true, the best anyone could hope for was cultivators who had a deep connection with Earth and its cultures; a group that would defend Earth not because it was their duty, but because it was their home, because Earth’s culture was their culture. Cultivators who had their values and ideals. How could any outsider understand what was meant when they declared that all men were created equal? How could such a sentiment earn anything but scorn from cultivators who grew up in societies where they were taught from birth that they were, in fact, higher beings?

John stared at the mountain for a long time while his mind whirled, his brain trying to play out chains of cause and effect. He examined everything he knew of the school, of Zhao Gang, of the disciples. When he got to recent events something stuck out, something nagged at him. He considered briefly before turning to Zhao Gang, his expression quizzical.

“That’s not all is it?” he asked. “During the evacuation, there was a moment where you were scrambling, as if something had happened you hadn’t anticipated. I refuse to believe you simply overlooked something or made a mistake. You let it play out the way it did on purpose. Why?”

Zhao Gang paused for a long moment and John could tell he was struggling to decide just how much to tell him. “It would appear so,” said Zhao Gang. The answer was flat and uninformative. It felt off. John would swear the answer was an evasion.

“It would appear so,” said John, “but appearances can be deceiving.” They shared another long moment of silence before Zhao Gang sighed.

“There was a mistake,” said Zhao Gang, “It just wasn’t mine. In cultivator sects, the most powerful figure in the sect isn’t the Sect Master. They tend to be more CEO than owner. The ancestors, as they’re called, are the true powerhouses of any sect. These old monsters typically retire from participation in the sect, allowing someone of a younger generation to take on the responsibility. It allows them the freedom to profit from the sect without the hassle of actually managing things. Sect Master is a powerful position but it requires an active hand in affairs. It distracts from a person’s cultivation.”

John wondered where this was going. He understood that Zhao Gang saw himself as an ancestor for the sect, but that didn’t explain why he would allow mistakes to be made. He wasn’t left to wonder long. “Typically the position of Sect Master is fought over bitterly. A weak Sect Master can expect to be pulled down and replaced. They would be lucky to survive such an event. Cultivators don’t abide incompetence. Unfortunately, allowing that here would be counterproductive. Instead, I’ve chosen the first Sect Master. They are a work in progress.”

It made sense mused John. What immortal would want to be stuck working for all eternity? No, they’d want to pass that off to others. When he considered Zhao Gang’s words in that light it seemed the only choice. So who would be the Sect Master? The question practically answered itself. “Xinasa,” said John. “She’s going to be Sect Master.”

Zhao Gang gave a soft smile and a nearly imperceptible nod. “She is the only choice. The others have all joined some sect or clan at some point. I encourage such things since it allows disciples to earn the resources they require rather than obligating me to acquire them. But it teaches them the ways of those organizations, teaches them about how ruthless and greedy cultivators are. They either learn to adopt the attitude or they die. Xinasa has not been trained to think in that way, not completely at least. While I believe it is a failing, it does grant us the opportunity to start from scratch, so to speak. With her as Sect Master, we can establish a fundamentally different culture without having to fight against what she ‘knows’ about how sects are run.”

“Unfortunately,” continued Zhao Gang, his tone turning to one of exasperation, “It also means that she lacks the experience to avoid certain obstacles. The only way for her to gain that experience is to allow her to make mistakes.”

“You’re grooming her,” said John. “You could have avoided whatever mistakes were made, but you allowed them deliberately so she could learn from them.”

“Yes,” admitted Zhao Gang. “Which brings us here. I could have manipulated events to avoid everything that happened. That would have meant keeping our secret a while longer. Ultimately, I decided that experiencing the consequences of her failures was more important.”

John decided to change the subject. If he continued, he feared he would be tempted into criticizing Zhao Gang’s leadership style. He wasn’t sure that would be wise. Regardless of the outcome, it was clear Zhao Gang’s actions were premeditated. That would have to be enough. “What do you want from me? You wouldn’t be filling me in unless there was something that specific that needed doing above and beyond my normal job.”

“To be honest, our plans had us having this conversation years from now,” said Zhao Gang. “But not all of our students have finished forging a constitution. We need to avoid having something like the last week happening again. I visited the Governor and asked him to get everyone to back off, but that likely won’t work a second time. We need to come to some accord with the teachers. I started by telling you everything because they’ll trust you. We’re going to need your help. How do we earn their loyalty? How much do we tell them? How can we keep the mortals from interfering while we do what needs to be done?” John could tell instinctively that Zhao Gang’s questions were sincere, but that wasn’t what he was focused on. No, his mind had jumped rails, focusing on another possibility. It was a twisted, bad plot sort of possibility. It was possible, just possible, that Zhao Gang would set this all up for some ineffable profit, one that would come at Earth’s detriment.

“Before I agree to anything,” said John, “I need you to make me one of those oaths, the death one. I need you to swear that you mean Earth and its people no harm, that you are honestly attempting to work for their best interest. If you can do that I’ll help you.”

“I won’t swear an oath that denies me any profit in this, John. I am helping Earth but that doesn’t mean I’ll take a loss doing it.”

“That’s fair, I think. But you have to at least swear that you won’t do anything that is knowingly against Earth’s best interests.”

“That I can do,” said Zhao Gang. He was silent for a long time to consider just how to word his oath. “I swear by the Heavenly Dao that I shall not work against Earth’s best interests. Until it has competent defenders of its own, I will take reasonable steps to ensure its safety. I will not seek to profit at the expense of Earth or its citizens, save for what is willingly agreed upon in fair dealings. This I so swear.”

John nodded as he finished his oath. “Thank you, Zhao. I won’t swear an oath but I will give you my word. I will keep your secrets and support your mission. You have my full support.”

Zhao Gang nodded. “It is time to return. We have much to speak about and many plans to make. You know Xinasa, but I’d like for you to get to know the other disciples as well. Start thinking about how to handle your teachers. Whatever plan you come up with I will support as long as it doesn’t unduly endanger either the students or our plans.”

They started walking back together in silence before Zhao Gang raised a finger. “One more thing, an important one. You must let me decide when to tell the students about all of this. Telling you is one thing since, to put it bluntly, you have no hope of becoming a cultivator. But to give them too much information before they’re ready could damage their future growth. We must not share information with them carelessly.”

“Is it truly so important?” asked John.

“Let me ask you, then. If I told you that I needed you to embark on a journey that would last thousands of years, one that you had little hope of surviving, one that had little room for family, friends, peace, or happiness, would you be more motivated or less?” The question sounded slightly comical to John but he could tell that Zhao Gang wasn’t joking. He considered it for a moment. If he was given this purpose, would he be able to drive toward it with a whole heart? Or would he always resent being saddled with the responsibility?

“I can see your point,” said John finally.

“Thank you, John. Our most important task at this stage is to let them be as normal as possible. All too often child cultivators develop massive superiority complexes, to the point where they don’t see anyone weaker than themselves as people. We need to avoid that as much as possible. They will inevitably discover how strong they are, but it would be best if they weren’t children when they did.”

“Oh yeah, massively powerful children without anyone teaching them that life is fundamentally sacred. That sounds like a recipe for utopia right there,” said John, sarcasm practically dripping from his voice. “Is that considered good parenting where you’re from?”

“It isn’t seen as a problem because their parents accept such attitudes as right and proper. They deeply believe that responsibility and loyalty are one-directional. The idea that they could have a moral obligation to people less powerful than themselves is utterly foreign, save for the duties created by familial ties. Their responsibilities to those above them are only those which can be enforced.”

The rest of their walk was made in silence.

When they took the step that returned them to Earth, John managed not to throw up over everything, though he still ended up hugging the dirt. “That is the most uncomfortable mode of travel I can imagine.”

“It certainly isn’t pleasant,” admitted Zhao Gang. John spent a few minutes sitting and enjoying being back among green trees before he finally stood again.

“So, I know you probably can’t answer this exactly, but give me your best guess. Just how long does Earth have?” asked John, his voice serious.

“Best case scenario? Earth gets to choose the time of its unveiling. When it does so it will be firmly established and ready to defend itself. Worst case scenario? My presence here has already been discovered and they are probing my formations as we speak. That is very unlikely though. Outside of my disciples, who are not allowed to leave without permission, there is only one person who knows everything about this place and he is utterly trustworthy.”

“You sound confident of that,” said John, doubt clear in his voice.

“If he is untrustworthy then there is no one in all of creation we could trust. Worse, if he decides to move against us there will be nothing anyone can do, not you, not me, not anyone.” Zhao Gang was tempted to tell John more but figured he had revealed enough secrets for the time being.

“So those are the extremes,” said John. “Now tell me what's likely to happen.”

“At some point,” Zhao Gang said seriously, “We are going to have to travel with the students for tempering. They will have to go to other planes and interact with other cultivators. They will have to face beasts and survive. Don’t worry,” interject Zhao Gang, seeing John beginning to object, “This will not be for a few years yet. But at some point, it must happen, lest everything else is pointless. When we do that, I expect some student or other will make a mistake and expose us. When that happens it won’t take long for the truth to come out. Luckily I have many plans and contingencies for that eventuality. We will not be unprepared.”

John thought about it for a moment before nodding. “An honest assessment and one that I can’t fault. Very well, we’ll have to be prepared then. And see if we can’t do our best to beat discretion into their little minds so that maybe, just maybe, that doesn’t happen.”

“It would be a nice surprise, but unrealistic. John, you must be prepared. When we leave Earth with them it will be a near certainty that some won’t come back. Creation is a cruel and terrible place. The students will be naive. If we do too much to protect them it will defeat the purpose of going. At some point, they will have to learn to stand on their own, not just here but out there as well.”

John was silent for a long time hearing those words, his heart unwilling to accept them. If he did his job right, if they all did, then they would all come back. They would work together, support each other, and come home. He knew he was fooling himself but that was his hope. His goal. “I won’t accept that, Zhao. I will do everything in my power to make sure each one of them succeeds. If we need to strip their naivete from them we will. It is better than sending them off like sheep to the slaughter.”

“Have no fear. I said we could only do so much, not that we wouldn’t protect them at all. Besides, we have years to teach them what they need to know. If we work hard there is hope.” Zhao Gang tried to put calm assurance into his voice but some of his doubt must have shown through. John didn’t call him on it but his face did harden into a mask of grim resolve. He didn’t say anything, but Zhao Gang knew that he was promising himself that he would make sure every single one of those children came back.

“We’re almost back to the school,” said Zhao Gang. “I’ll leave you here. Remember, we need to go about this carefully. I want to earn the teacher’s loyalty, sure, but for the time being, I want to keep our secrets more. We’ll go over whatever plan you come up with in detail. We’ve gotten off to a rocky start. We need to smooth things out quickly or our problems will escalate. That cannot be allowed to happen.”

“I’ll stop by your office tomorrow,” said Principal Cartwright, “I have a few ideas about who can stay and who will need to go. Once we clean house a little we’ll talk about how much to tell the staff. It isn’t the teachers I’m worried about though, it’s all the other staff - the caretakers, the janitors, the maintenance staff. There are hundreds of people who do odd jobs all over campus. We’ll need to bring them in or do without them.” By the tone of John’s voice, he was fully absorbed in the problem. Zhao Gang left him without saying another word. He had other things to focus on for the moment, such as dealing with a fledgling Sect Master and her anger over a ‘betrayal’.