Wu Jian's divine sense felt the shift in karma as it happened. He had no insights into the Dao of Karma, yet the size of the change brought about by his actions meant anyone nearby in the Nascent Soul Realm would be able to tell that the Wu Clan had accomplished an extremely good deed. He had no idea that helping the Zhao boy would bring about such a massive amount of good karma, but he guessed the heavens truly favoured his adopted son, enough that he was born with a special physique and still merited extra fortuitous encounters. The Wu Patriarch had just stepped in to help the boy receive one of those fortuitous encounters, and for that he was rewarded.

The sensation faded, and he turned back to the matter at hand. A letter from the so called 'Zhao Alliance', a name they had only taken up after checking that the Zhao Clan had been entirely wiped out, sat in his hands. It said the expected things: we denounce you for your evil acts; surrender now or face our wrath; cede your lands and resources to us or else. But one part near the bottom caught his eye.

Upon your surrender, an overseer shall be appointed to watch over your clan and ensure that it does not stray from the Righteous Path again.

That such a term was included made him seethe with anger. If such a thing came to pass, his clan's head would always be on the figurative chopping block. All that would be needed for the Wu Clan to cease to exist would be the overseer inventing a series of wicked acts to pin upon the innocent Wu cultivators and get them exterminated by any 'Righteous' clan that had an eye upon their land, resources, or people. It made him all the more determined to fight back against the Gao Clan, even if it would cost him his life should he fail. They would not make a mockery of his father's legacy.

Sensing his heightened emotion, the bell in his soul sea gave a soft chime and a wave of calm rolled over him. He took a moment to collect himself before writing his reply.

To the Zhao Alliance,

I find it concerning that you would name yourselves after an Unothodox Clan that was wiped out for doing harm. I strongly suggest that you disband your alliance and submit to an overseer from our Wu Clan so that you don't accidentally step off the Righteous Path.

From the Wu Clan

With the letter penned, he imbued it with a portion of his Nascent Soul Realm aura and sealed it within an envelope. When the Zhao Alliance leaders opened it, they would be in for a surprise.

"Lord Patriarch, the beast horde is getting closer."

A servant entered the room, bowing as they spoke.

"Send the Rong Clan warriors on some 'training exercises' in the areas where the horde is active. Try and keep its existence under wraps for now but prepare to evacuate the mortals should it draw too close."

Wu Jian responded.

"Yes Lord Patriarch."

The servant bowed again and left. The Wu Patriarch called for another and handed them the letter when they arrived, sending them to deliver it. Once he was alone again, he sank back into his chair and sighed. It was exhausting keeping up the image that he was in control, his emotions constantly kept in check by the bell in his soul sea. It wore him down day after day and he wondered how his father had managed to do it for over a century. Thinking of his father made the bell chime again, calming the anger that was threatening to build. His enemies had named their group the Zhao Alliance, after the clan that forced the old patriarch to give up his life. It just filled him with so much rage seeing them touted as martyrs when they were murderers, scum who had deserved what was coming to them.

Only two Zhao cultivators were left alive, one bearing the greatest sin and the other bearing the least. Both were alive because they were useful to him, though only one would remain that way for long. The mutation of the Zhao's souls had brought him some catharsis, enough to spare their patriarch for a while longer, but once he got his hands on the materials he needed, that man would be joining his subordinates in their removal from Samsara, though in a different way.

Another servant approached his office and his back immediately straightened, returning him to the picture of elegance.

"Lord Patriarch, the Gao Clan's prisoner escort is at the gates."

They reported.

"Good, keep them there. I will saddle them with the prisoner myself."

Wu Jian replied, standing up from his seat. He strode out of the room, overtaking the servant despite his leisurely pace, and towards the prison.

...

"You dare keep us here!?"

A Gao Clan cultivator, in the Peak Core Formation stage, yelled in the face of a Wu Clan guard. Wu Jian, who had just arrived, hid his aura and watched the scene unfold.

"Do you know who we are?"

The screaming continued, the guard managing to stand their ground despite their fearful expression.

"We are from the mighty Gao Clan! Show us the proper respect."

By now, the visiting cultivator was right up in the guard's face. Sensing an opportunity, Wu Jian cast his divine sense out and used some masked qi to stimulate the guard's voice box into making sound.

"Fellow Daoist Gao, I'm afraid I cannot let you past."

He forced the guard to say. The foreign cultivator went red with fury at being called a 'fellow Daoist' by the lesser cultivator, someone who was from a less established clan and only mid way through the Qi Gathering Realm.

"What did you call me!?"

The Gao cultivator's arm flew through the air, Qi condensing onto their palm until it glowed with light. The slap shot forwards, hitting flesh with a dull thud. The attacker was confused both by the sound their hit made and how nothing gave from the force of it. That was, until they saw what they had actually hit. Their, standing in front of the escort, was the Wu Patriarch, arm lifted casually to block the blow that would've impacted his subordinate. Behind him floated the Wang Patriarch, chained by Wu Jian's water Qi.

"Surely the Gao Clan has taught you better manners than this."

He spoke, giving them a cold smile.

"After all, assaulting another clan's members, especially with enough force to kill them, is considered the height of rudeness."

He said slowly. The Gao Cultivator who had been yelling's face went pale as they realised just what they had done. They tried to back up away from the Nascent Soul Realm Patriarch, but they were held in place by his aura.

"Now, none of you would defend the actions I just described, would you?"

Wu Jian asked rhetorically. Hearing nothing in reply, he continued.

"Good, then you won't object to me taking this one into custody then."

A second set of water chains materialised and wrapped around the offending cultivator, thoroughly restraining them as he spoke. Before they could object, he floated over the Wang Patriarch and released him in the middle of the group.

"And here is the prisoner, as promised."

He steered the conversation.

"Though our interrogation methods to try and find his conspirators were a little, shall we say... forceful, and may have left him a bit mad."

He turned on one heel as he said this and started walking off, captured Gao Cultivator in tow.

"It was a pleasure having you visit. Please do come again."

And with those words hanging in the air, he left, leaving seven stunned cultivators in his wake.