"Man, I really hate getting called young Mistress wherever I go, but there are still places to explore in the heart division." Xin Jing sounded tired, obviously trying to add a faked cheer into her voice, while she was stretching as if to prepare herself for what was to come.

The five of them sat inside the girl's living room. Han Ting and Shen Junan were still very subdued themselves, while Zhi Mu seemingly did not pay any mind to their encounter with Master Clearheart. Meanwhile, Ren was looking around with mild interest. He was taking the estate in for the first time after all, as he paid no mind to it previously, too caught up in his own musings to spare it another look. Focusing his senses to get a clearer view, Ren enveloped the entirety of Xin Jing's home in his senses' range.

The first thing, that was obvious to him, was the size of the residence. Xin Jing had told them previously that she only lived together with her grandmother, who was an elder, but Ren hadn't thought that they would live in such a comparatively small home with her being one of the strongest of the sect and Xin Jing a hailed prodigy.

He guessed that they would have some kind of reason for it, though he could not say what it would be. Ren shrugged to himself and moved on with his observation.

There were two floors, with five rooms each. The ground floor being larger in scope, as its living room took up almost half of that space. The style of the place reminded Ren a lot of the pagoda in his own division, with curving roofs and wooden facades. Its roof was decked out in crimson tiles and multiple artworks resembling veins ran down the walls connecting and entangling with each other, giving an observer the impression of blood circulating through the wooden frame of the building. All things said, it gave of an imposing impression.

The interior, though, was only sparsely decorated, shades of green and red dominating the atmosphere, with straw mats lining the floors, and barely any furniture filling the empty space. There was only a small book corner functioning as the elder's library. Not even two hundred books lined those ancient-looking shelves. It was barren, and felt cold, liveless almost.

What Ren noticed next was that there were almost no comforts present. Chairs didn't have armrests, there were no pictures on the walls, no artifacts were being used, and there were no beds to be found, only meditation mats. Concluding his small inspection, Ren came back to the present, drawing his senses back in.

The five of them sat around a small indoor fireplace in the living room on grey stone benches arranged in an octagon.

"I suppose that we should visit the puppet division next, as the day is still young." Zhi Mu said, languidly leaning on his wooden stick, and grabbing their attention. "Or was my guess misplaced, Sister Jing? Mayhaps, should I call you young Mistress now as well?" Zhi Mu ridiculed with a faux polite voice, even lightly dipping his head as if to start bowing, making Xin Jing's right eyebrow slowly rise up. Her face was clearly saying: 'You can't be serious.'

She just sat there for a few seconds, just staring at Zhi Mu, but ultimately sighed heavily. "It would be appreciated, Brother Mu, but I still feel guilty not truly showing you around to anything significant."

This time it was Han Ting who answered her with an easy smile and an accepting hand gesture. "There is nothing to feel guilty for, Sister Jing. If you do not feel like showing us around right now, that is fine. The heart division will not suddenly disappear on us, and new opportunities are certain to arise."

He crossed his arms and bopped his head once, showing the conviction he put into his words. Ren and Shen Junan nodded along as well. Ren was reminded of how Nanao told him that people could be uncomfortable with certain situations, and that there shouldn't be a need to push them if there was no need for it.

He smiled at the older girl, hoping to make it look reassuring. He wasn't sure that it truly was though, as Xin Jing's eyes turned wet and her spirit turbulent before she quickly swiped her robe's sleeve across her eyes and a beautiful smile on her face.

"Thank you very much, everyone. It means a lot." She said, even going so far as to bow to them, her voice steady, yet her spirit was in turmoil still.

Zhi Mu studied her expression for a moment, before standing up to lead them to the puppet division. All of them chose not to comment on Xin Jing's reaction.

The puppet division, apart from the weapon division, was the one that Ren had seen the most of. It being located very close by and its notoriety for enjoyable plays made him and his friends visit often. He had not seen or sensed any of the people who greeted them at its entrance though.

There were four suspicious looking people standing before them, each one clad in a flowing robe of darkest black that hid their features and seemed to suck in the light around them, blending them into the shadows. It was an effect that Ren had not observed until now, though it felt a little similar to the method Darkhaven had been using to hide his presence.

It was slightly more complex than usual to gain a clear picture of three of the assembled four, as those had even their face completely covered with the material, not even their eyes showing, while the fourth' presented striking yellow eyes. Almost proudly, Ren thought.

After prodding them with his spirit-sense, like with Darkhaven he just had to focus a little more to gauge them clearly, Ren could tell that the four of them were all Adepts, two men and two women, but only the yellow-eyed woman appeared to be younger than twenty. All four wore blank expressions, like their faces were nothing but masks, and their spirits felt like a pond's surface. Nothing would ever be able to disturb their serenity.

In short, they had the appearance of villains who would appear in his bedtime stories.

They approached the five of them with measured steps, each movement calculated and exact, almost mechanical in a way. While Xin Jing, Han Ting and Shen Junan were readying themselves for the possibility of a confrontation, adjusting their bodies' positions minutely, and spirits circulating more aggressively, Zhi Mu stepped forward without a care in the world.

And to Ren's, and the others' surprise, the four black-clad figures went down on one knee before Zhi Mu.

"This one greets the young Lord. Has your journey been fruitful, my Lord?" The yellow-eyed woman greeted Zhi Mu. She spoke without any infliction, yet the young Adept rolled his eyes at her as if she had told an old joke that he had heard one time too often.

"It has been fine, please don't scare my companions too much, One. We will only look at a few places that are usually not that easy to access, no need to show up so dramatically." Zhi Mu sounded exasperated, and made a little shooing motion with his hand.

"By your command." The woman, One, said, and in a blur of movement, she and her three companions left the scene. Ren could still feel them in their vicinity though, and by the look Zhi Mu was throwing at their surroundings, he could as well.

"Let's go then, time waits for no man, and though just like I told One, I want to show you some of the less accessible places. Two, to be exact." Zhi Mu said lightly, his back turned towards them.

"Just wait a minute, Brother Mu, who are those people? You can't just dismiss them as if they never appeared." Xin Jing said, quite miffed by the situation.

Zhi Mu just brushed her off and kept walking through. "They are just a little group that the old man gave me to command. I don't really need them to protect me anymore, but they are more than a little convenient when it comes to gathering information. Does that satisfy your curiosity, Sister Jing?"

Xin Jing didn't look like she was fully satisfied with the answer, but didn't pursue it further either. She gave him a little 'hmpf' in response, and crossed her arms. Zhi Mu just took her reaction with a superior smile.

As they were entering the puppet division's gates, Ren thought about how Little Fatty informed him of the fact that Ning had joined the division. He had pushed back Nanao's request to find her, and since Zhi Mu was a very influential member of the division, Ren got the idea to ask him for his assistance. "Brother Mu, I don't know how to say this, but can you help me find someone in the puppet division?"

Zhi Mu looked at him askance, not knowing who someone like Ren would even be looking for, but, not seeing any harm in it, indulged the younger boy. Ren gave him Ning's desciption, name, and when she joined both the sect and likely the puppet division.

Zhi Mu took it all in, noted it down, and then answered back. "Sure, it shouldn't be too hard to find her," Though you might not like the answer, was left unsaid. "but let's get the tour done first, Brother Ren. Our first stop will be the underground arena."

Trusting in the older boy's ability to locate her, Ren nodded,and they followed Zhi Mu into the division. One and her companions were still following them discreetly.

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Zhi Mu led them through multiple winding streets, past the famous attractions Ren had already visited. Multiple disciples, both young and old, were enjoying the varied performances. Couples whispered sweet words into each other's ears, Novices exitedly ran around with their friends.

Zhi Mu spared none of this even a single glance, stepping past the bright events on the surface with determination.

For Zhi Mu, this clearly was not the first time visiting the underground arena, Ren thought. The older boy's spirit defused formation after formation wherever they went, opening and closing exactly seven doors as they descended into the mountain, till faint cheering greeted them, echoing softly in the distance.

"This is a more or less secret path amongst the already secret paths that lead to the arena. We will be able to watch the matches without anyone bothering us." Zhi Mu said, as they walked along the narrow path. Ren could no longer sense the presence of One, the woman stopping somewhere between the fourth and fifth doors.

They finally crossed the last double door that Zhi Mu pushed open with his spirit. What greeted them was both the noise of a crowd cheering and jowling, as well as the view of a spacious lounge, overseeing a circular caged arena that was plastered with some kind of soft stone. There were some kinds of formations carved into the arena floor and its walls, presumably to protect the watchers.

And there were so many of those. Ren didn't expect the underground arena to be this popular. He had expected maybe thirty watchers huddled behind dark robes like Zhi Mu's apparent guardians, or whatever they were. There were at least a hundred and fifty disciples of varying ages and cultivation levels present, though. A stunning display.

In the lower ranks of onlookers were Novices and Adepts both, and above those, in the lodges were mostly Adepts who looked extremely selfimportant. Some of those were accompanied by Novices or even Initiates who looked like servants to Ren. Straight across from their own lodge, Ren could even sense a Master observing the fights down below.

As Zhi Mu said, there was no possibility of the general watchers bothering them.

"Make yourselves at home, and enjoy the atmosphere for a bit." Zhi Mu said, taking out drinks and other refreshments. Ren grabbed one of the gourds and sat down on their broad couch between Zhi Mu and Xin Jing. He almost sank into it, that's how soft it was.

"And for our next fight we have, in the west corner, Tang Hao, a practitioner of the iron puppet manual!" An announcer wearing a green robe was standing on the arena's edge and shouted with enthusiasm, spreading his hands dramatically. "In the east corner. He needs no introduction. You have all been waiting for him. The handsome, the enigmatic, Tian Meng!!"

The crowd roared, their cheers raining down uninterrupted. Ren almost thought they wouldn't ever stop. Alas, it was not to be and the spectators eventually calmed down. Tang Hao was, opposed to the appearance of most puppet division disciples, a towering man, similar in build to Han Meijiao. His impressive muscles were showing as he was wearing a wide cut shirt, while his hair was long and wild, his eyes hungry and dark.

Tian Meng, on the other hand, was at least a head shorter. The man sported green hair, that Ren had never seen before, short and glossy, and had an impeccable face. His robes were simple and white, with no additional ornaments.

Beside Ren, Xin Jing was looking on in bafflement.

"That guy isn't part of the puppet division, but instead an Adept of the heart division." She said, sounding as if she was somehow irritated. She looked at Zhi Mu expectantly, almost demandingly, as she crossed her arms from beside Ren's other side.

The older boy just continued lounging back, smiling in the direction of the arena. The way Zhi Mu gazed down on the combatants somehow reminded Ren of the way old people looked at clumsy children sometimes. Their stumbling in the dark brought nothing but mild amusement to his lips.

Not turning his head, Zhi Mu answered Xin Jing, savoring the moment. "Oh, I must have forgotten, but in fact there are many disciples of other divisions participating in the arena. The most exciting fights are those of Adepts or even Masters, and if you discount all those in the puppet division who have no interest in participating or are too weak to compete, there wouldn't be all that many interesting things happening here. Truthfully, the arena would likely not even have lasted more than a single year without opening its gates to more divisions." He said, rolling his eyes, and Ren guessed that Zhi Mu expected them to be able to conclude that without him having to point it out.

"I guess it makes sense, there must not be that many people in the puppet division who are interested in straight-up fights then?" Xin Jing asked Zhi Mu, who turned his head from observing the arena to face her.

"Naturally." Zhi Mu scoffed. "Most disciples of the puppet division are only focused on deepening their knowledge of puppet-arts. Straight-up fights and exchanging pointers are often frowned upon. After all, why would you fight if you could simply eliminate your opponent without them even being able to attack you?" Zhi Mu sighed, and shook his head in dismay. "At least that is what many think."

Amidst their discussion the crowd quieted, and Tang Hao dramatically pointed at his adversary, shouting in a dangerous voice. "Tian Meng, prepare yourself to taste defeat at my hands! I am the weakling you shamed, no longer!" Tang Hao cried out, his spirit churning around him, taking on a metallic hue, and his muscles contracting and relaxing, his center of gravity lowering in anticipation.

Tian Meng only looked on with passivity, though his spirit was rising to the challenge, an almost transparent aura, giving Ren a feeling of weightlessness.

"Show me how much you improved then, Tang Hao. I hope you can provide at least a small amount of excitement." Tian Meng said, his straight face slowly morphing into a grin, eyes widening. A moment later, as if there was a silent sign between them, they started rushing at each other.

Ren started narrowing down his senses, hoping not to miss the confrontation, and even if Zhi Mu showed clear disdain for them, a smile was forming on Ren's face, his hands twitching.

The fight began, both of them clashing. Tang Hao, the towering Adept clearly on the offensive, eight blurs of spirit accompanying his devastating punches, each following one stronger than the last. It was an impressive show of strength, with spirit flowing smoothly in tandem with his movements.

Unfortunately for Tang Hao, every single one of his strikes was either evaded or outright blocked, Tian Meng diverting the attacks' power into the surroundings through his spirit, and then drawing it back in to return a fast counter. Tang Hao simply endured those strikes though, his steel-like body able to take considerable punishment.

"Well, this could go on for a while." Shen Junan threw in, taking out some kind of sweet while doing so.

The fight continued in this manner for some time indeed. Neither fighter seemed able to take the upper hand. While Tang Hao definitely had the required firepower to put his opponent out, Tian Meng was like the wind, evading. On the other hand, Tian Meng was able to land plenty of hits, but the constant barrage made it impossible to deliver anything more than a light tap, it seemed. They were at an impasse and soon only pure stamina would decide the ultimate victor.

Suddenly, a strike connected, square into Tian Meng's chest. The man flew back across the arena, like a kite that had its strings cut. The crowd went wild, and even Tang Hao stopped for a brief moment, not expecting his hit to throw his opponent all the way across the arena.

In this short moment of inattention, Ren noticed Tian Meng's spirit gathering and flowing across the arena floor, different threads connecting like knots, but different from before, the spirit was evoking an incredible feeling of sharpness and danger.

Just before Tang Hao reached Tian Meng, ready to bring down a devastating strike, excitement already shining in his eyes, muscles taut with unreleased tension, Tian Meng shouted out. "Wind's Judgement!"

And just as he was almost upon the other Adept the different knotted threads of spirit that surrounded the two combatants drew together, whipping up a storm and smokescreen that hid what happened exactly. After the dust cleared up, Tian Meng stood while Tang Hao lay on the ground, bleeding from multiple wounds across his body, most concentrated around his torso.

As the crowd howled and cheered, money exchanging hands, Ren analysed what happened in the last moments with the others.

"The art Tian Meng deployed was both durable and sharp enough to end the fight in an instant, so why did he not use it from the beginning when he must have known Tang Hao was going to rush him?" Han Ting asked, clearly confused at the Adept's choice. Ren thought he had the answer to this though.

"Even if it looked impressive, I don't think that he would have been able to sustain a fight after employing that art. But even if he could have gone on, which I doubt, he was also not certain of its ability to penetrate Tang Han's defense. If you take a closer look every single wound is on a spot that he hit previously." Ren concluded, nodding his head seriously.

"That's right. If Tang Hao was able to push his body art one step further there would have been no road to victory for Tian Meng." Zhi Mu said, already getting up and ready to leave, turning his back on the arena. "Let's go, you can all come back here whenever you wish, and if you want to participate in some fights yourselves in the future, just ask me. I'll arrange it. But we still have one more place to visit today."

Zhi Mu looked quite gloomy as he said this, as if just saying those words put an immense burden on him. Shrugging they followed him out of the arena, back towards the surface, only to weasel through multiple formations and alleys again.

Coming to a stop before an unassuming building were it not for its location and the amount of spirit surrounding it like a blanket. Zhi Mu made a lazy gesture and a door opened, just big enough to let one at a time through.

"This is one of the workshops of the puppet division. This is were those who are taken into the division but not deemed fit to nurture eventually end up. A disgusting blight upon this sect." Zhi Mu said with such disgust that Han Ting visibly recoiled.

They stepped inside and were immediately greeted by a bright atmosphere. People were milling about, hurrying with swift and sure motions, soot-covered hands working deftly. The ring of metal and a constant ticking permeated the giant room, for that is what it was. A huge room with no true barriers in place, one connected hall. Giant ovens, operated by more than five people, disciples guiding spirit through exotic woods in unfamiliar patterns. It truly was worthy of the name workshop.

Zhi Mu walked past different workers, everyone parting in his wake, guiding them deeper into the hall. Eventually, he stopped in front of a tidy wooden desk, with a woman working on tiny metal parts, on her face a funny looking mask that made her eyes look unproportionally huge.

"Hello Yifan, do you have a little time to show me and my Brothers and Sister around the workshop? They are quite intrigued by it and would surely appreciate the guidance of someone more knowledgeable than myself." He said, voice light.

Only upon hearing Zhi Mu talk to her did the woman look up. She looked like she was at least twenty-seven, and yet her spirit felt like she only recently broke through into the Novice realm, shocking Ren immensely. Everyone he had interacted with until now in the sect had always assured him that reaching the level of Novice was something that would even take the most dim and untalented less than a decade of dedicated training. What then happened to this woman?

"Brother Zhi, how have you been? Of course, I would be delighted to show you around the workshop." Yifan said, smiling brilliantly at Zhi Mu and company. She gingerly put down the piece she was working on and pat down her rough leather clothes. "Let's look around, shall we?" She enthused, with another bright smile.

Ren could only think that it somehow looked wrong on her face, though he couldn't say why.

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They looked around the facility, just as Zhi Mu and Yifang advertised. She showed off the different metals and woods they treated, and more importantly, the people who worked on producing them. Ren had not thought too much about the fact that there were only Novices working in this workshop, but upon closer inspection he noticed that every single one of them felt like they only just ascended from Initiate. Every single one of them was working with a smile on their faces, and every single one of them somehow felt wrong to him.

They worked, and worked, and worked, yet they received far less benefits than a regular disciple of any one division. What one of them said, after Shen Junan asked why they were so happy, cut especially deep.

"Of course we are happy. The leaders of the workshop have promised us special guidance and a way forward for our work." The worker gestured around him. "You can ask anyone, we were all able to become Novices, and eventually, even Adepts."

Shen Junan was not convinced by the man's conviction at all, and had to ask further. "Why are you so confident that you will become Adepts? I can't sense any in this workshop."

Sarcasm and slight ridicule were clearly shown through Shen Junan's words, but the worker was not swayed in the slightest. "Every once in a while, some of the best workers are rewarded and taken away. They are rewarded for their high quality work, and become a part of the true disciples of the division." He said, with not an ounce of doubt.

The conversation stalled from that point onward, and they moved on to another worker. The more they talked to different workers though, the more it became apparent that they had no idea that their cultivation was in fact being sabotaged. It was as Zhi Mu said, they couldn't even recognize they were being taken advantage of.

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Sitting in a room in Zhi Mu's house later that evening, Ren was not satisfied with the happenings in the last divisions. The disciples with no hope of becoming more than pawns, and workshops that only gave a sense of hope, yet no way out. Ren was appalled. Zhi Mu had told them that there were multiple parts of the sect that did not reflect the optimistic musings of children, but he had thought that the ones who experienced injustice could at least identify it.

He thought that he could immediately tell when it happened, at least. Good and evil were easily separated, were they not? Could he even ever have seen these things had Zhi Mu not brought them up? Had he fallen into a false sense of contentment as well, willfully closing his eyes? How naive he was, he berated himself. His emotions rose, and with it his spirit began leaking into the surroundings, as his control of the domain of the sword wavered.

A hand landed on his head, making his thoughts stop to look up. The face of Zhi Mu greeted him. He hadn't even felt him approach.

"You shouldn't worry as much, Brother Ren." The older boy said.

Ren immediately wanted to rebuke him, rage at him even, but the older boy's expression gave him pause. Zhi Mu's face was serious, yet his voice gentle, true, and full of conviction. Ren chose to listen instead.

"That is not to mean that you should forget these things exist, or even become completely uncaring of other's plights." His voice dropped, gaining in intensity, and making Ren hang on to every word like it was a lifeline. "But, you must also not blindly rush into things. It is a harsh thing to say, but what can you do for these people? The answer is that you could surely save a few of them now, relying on the power and influence of myself and the others. What about after that though? Fundamental change is not something so easily achieved."

Zhi Mu shook his head and turned away from Ren, facing the direction of the summit. His robe was fluttering in the wind and his spirit filled their immediate surroundings like the unforgiving tide. To Ren's senses, Zhi Mu's person was enveloped in an ephemeral hue. He was an emperor, commanding heaven and earth. Nothing could stand in his way or escape his all-encompassing might.

Ren had never been more terrified in his short life. Even when Darkhaven trained him, he didn't feel like this. Different from the old Master, who's spirit pressured everything, Zhi Mu's spirit snaked its way around everything, constricting and invading. There was no escape. There was no way to turn, nowhere to run! Ren's eyes had opened wide, his own arts circulating a mile a minute, pushing, trying with futility to create an opening.

And then it was gone. Rapidly jumping back, Ren examined Zhi Mu. He had not moved a single inch, and his spirit was softly simmering beneath his skin, ready to explode forth at any moment. It was the first time that Ren could understand Daiyu's assessment of the young Adept.

"Before you can start moving, you need to learn how to walk first. A hero who can not even protect himself. How would someone like that ever find a good end?" He turned around and gave Ren a searching look, making the Initiate squirm in discomfort under his gaze. After a, in Ren's opinion, far too long moment, Zhi Mu seemed satisfied and smiled wryly at Ren. "You are not yet ready to face the truths of this world. Simply try to grow your cultivation, and eventually the bigger picture will be revealed in its entirety." Zhi Mu said, sounding wistful as he gave his opinion.

Ren could only nod along. The previous show of might still stunning him in place. Seeing Ren observing him like a cornered animal nonetheless made Zhi Mu sigh, and continue in a light voice. "Let us join back with the others. You still have to show us around the weapon division tomorrow, Brother Ren."