Author's Note: A bit of a short chapter today, but I reached a cliffhanger moment -- so, yeah. And didn't Hemingway say end the day wanting to write more anyways? As Always, Thanks for Reading.

The Great Halls of the Black Pearl Sect was not built to impress. It was never built with the intention of entertaining guests. The actual structure of the building was humble and of wood. Recipes of pills and descriptions of medical conditions lined its walls and pillars. And the sect master’s throne was formed from slabs of white stone.

Sect Master Lin filled his throne, excess ambition spilling out. He was a rough man with large palms and a face marred by burns. Pulling at his fiery brows, he remarked, “I hope your explanation will be a rather entertaining one, if nothing else.”

Hai’Deng stepped forward first, dragging Xi Shi by her hair. Throwing the beaten fairy onto the stairs leading up to the throne, Hai’Deng then bowed. He greeted his sect master.

“Sect Master Lin, it is as you see.” Hai’Deng bowed again to indicate he has finished speaking.

Sect Master Lin slammed his palm onto the armrest of his throne. The white slab held, but the entire foundation shook. Tilting his head, he asked, “That was not entertaining. Nor did it explain anything at all. Lei’Yo-La, I did raise you into this sect’s needed guardian, assassin, and executioner. Those people do not have a voice, I understand — however, they always respond to their master, no?”

“Yes, Sect Master Lin. And the explanation is as you see.”

“I find it rather ridiculous a blind person is saying such a thing.”

“Yes, it is ridiculous.”

“Ah, you understand, Lei’Yo-La. It is rather ridiculous to be suddenly presented six corpses with no explanation. But also rather more odd to be presented an inner sect disciple mentally scarred — I would assume — and physically ruined.”

“There are pills and surgery.”

“Did I ask for you to speak? No, I did not. But even more odd are the two children beside Elder Wang. I’ve already taken in you and your sister; taking in another two is simply ridiculous.”

“Yes, this entire situation is ridiculous, Sect Master Lin.”

“So what is the explanation?”

“It is as you see.”

“I want to get angry. But I don’t want to waste resources by breaking someone or something. And hitting this Silvery Barbarian Kindling Throne of mine is not satisfying, as it refuses to crack. I assume Elder Wang told you to repeat such a line.”

“Indeed, I have, Yin Chai,” the sage responded with a nod, stepping forward as Hai’Deng retreated.

“Elder Wang, do not forget you are an outsider.”

“I have not. I am an outsider; you are not my sect master. Neither are you my senior. And I repeat, it is as you see.”

“With any other person, I would assume there is a point to that statement. With you, Elder Wang, I think only every eighth sentence from your mouth holds meaning.”

“How rude, Yin Chai. I once changed your soiled trousers — and you treat this old man so?”

“Wang Shuhe, you may be this sect’s eternal esteemed and venerable guest, but I will not tolerate such blatant disregard for my words within my own home.”

“Again, Yin Chai, it is as you see.”

“And I see an old man dead from flagellation,” Sect Master Lin growled. Then he closed his eyes and breathed out. “Lei-Yo’La, answer honestly! Why does Elder Wang wish to save those two children. Despite having killed six of our outer sect disciples?”

“Elder Wang desires justice,” Hai’Deng responded after a pause.

“Ha, justice? Is it justice when six of my children are dead and those two still breathes? Is it justice when Xi Shi is mutilated and scarred by your hands no less, and those two unharmed?”

Elder Wang stroked his beard. He spoke calmly, “It is justice when it is self-defense. It is justice when the inequality of the situation becomes balanced.

“I admit the two children have offended the six deceased disciples. One threw up onto their feet.

However, such an offense required no death — at most, the children should have been forced to eat the vomit off their shoes and then kowtow to each of them. That offense warranted no death — perhaps maiming, but not death.”

“Yet, I see only those six dead. Can one be sure it was not simple malice from the perpetrators?”

“Further investigation revealed the six had killed numerous pill makers — some of them successors to certain recipes — from other medicinal sects. And there was also extensive damage caused during their rampage,” Elder Wang smiled, though his eyes never creased. “It would be insulting to those medicinal sects if we do not repay blood with blood.”

Sect Master Lin leaned forward in his throne. He gripped the armrests with such force, that if the throne was not so durable, it would have broke. The sect master barked, “Does nameless sects deserve the Black Pearl Sect’s apology?”

“Even if the Black Pearl Sect is desired by all, if all the other medicinal sects form their own alliance, there would finally exist an entity able to rival ours.”

“Ha! Elder Wang, you’ve gotten addled in your time of long living. Even if all the other sects become one, can quantity defeat quality?”

Elder Wang smiled and nodded. “I have lived quite long — though, I am but middled-aged in the view of others. To the common sects, it is often quantity that they prefer, not quality. To the greater sects, they desire quality, but quantity shall suffice. If one quality pill costs ten taels and increases the effectiveness of cultivation by 200%, that is very good. But if one can buy several cheaper pills for one tael , yet still achieve 200% overall with no side-effects, that is even better.

“Young Yin Chai, what we have now is a brand and a monopoly. If our monopoly is gone, our brand will naturally fall due to competition. We will not be ruined, but we will decline — your kingdom will fall. We must keep amicable relations with the other sects.”

Sect Master Lin grunted, “But that still does not grant them freedom from punishment! If one touches a tiger, then it is only just for the fool to be eaten.”

“Yin Chai, the boy who threw up ate one of the sect’s new pill right before vomiting. Even if the cause was truly him ingesting too many pills, the public will react with anger if we kill them. After all, it is a prototype despite our branding. If news gets out that the children are dead, we will be caught up in a whirlwind of news concerning the cover-up of unsafe pills. It is better if they lived.”

“Fine! They live, but justice must still be served. After all, Xi Shi was punished harshly by Lei’Yo-La for causing trouble. Why are the children unharmed?”

“As sect master, I believe you should decide,” Hai’Deng spoke suddenly. He pointed his bamboo stick at the two children. “Though they are guests, they are apparently treasured disciples of the Yun Yue Sect.”

“Hmph, that declining sect? Wasn’t it recently that they even got casted from the Emperor’s favor? Furthermore, I believe the traitor of the Empire, General Hong Yin, was once a disciple of that sect.”

Elder Wang nodded, “That is correct. However, to have once been granted the favor of the son of Heaven, that means they were once extremely powerful — and who is not to say that continues to stand. After all, they were not casted from favor because they have become weak, but for their connections to the traitor.”

“Strong? So what if this one sect is strong. The Black Pearl Sect has the support of the Empire and our many patrons and clients,” Sect Master Lin scowled. He turned to Hai’Deng and shouted,

“Speak honestly, boy! Why does Elder Wang protect those two children?”

Hai’Deng pulled at his scarf, but spoke with confidence. “Justi —”

“The truth, boy,” Sect Master Lin growled.

Hai’Deng faced Elder Wang who responded with a simple, “Yes.” The boy then answered, “The girl is the daughter of General Hong Yin. General Hong Yin was the student of Elder Wang.”

Sect Master Lin laughed. He reclined in his throne and sneered. “Elder Wang, this is treason, is it not?”

“The sins of the parent does not fall to the child,” Elder Wang answered with a hard look at Sect Master Lin.

“But it does. Under the Zhou Dynasty, collective punishment is a rather popular form of management and deterrence. After all, if an entire family is punished — why, does not the sentiment, ‘Fuck you to your eighteenth great-aunt’, become so much more true?”

“Then I suppose, I am showing my age — of a life from before the Tiger took the Dragon’s Throne.”

“There are no more Dragons, dear Elder Wang,” Sect Master Lin said with a far-off look in his eyes. He closed them and sighed. “But a lost memory.”

“You are right,” Elder Wang nodded. The three children looked about in confusion, in particular Hai’Deng, who was unable to see the nuance of either man’s face.

“But that is not the point. The point is, this is clearly treason, Elder Wang,” Sect Master Lin scowled as he tapped his armrest.

“And I assert it is not.”

“But it is. If there is collective reward, there is collective punishment. That is the way life goes about. A child is able to enjoy one’s life if one’s parents are capable; the opposite obviously is true as well.”

“However, even if that is true, General Bo Ling himself has excused the child of sin. After all, the girl still lives.”

“Even if that is true, why must I, someone at the Earth cultivation stage fear the Yun Yue Sect? Who will help them if they seek vengeance?”

“The master of that sect, Mo Yun, is someone at the Star cultivation stage — and unlike you, Yin Chai, she still possess the ability and potential to continue. And who will help them? Do you forget that those held in the Empire’s favor are all sects who produced legendary figures? Though those who ascended to become deity do not interfere with mortal affairs, the sect’s founder will.”

Sect Master Lin narrowed his eyes. He leaned forward and breathed deeply. “And what proof do you have of that?”

“Qiu’yue, show Sect Master Lin your sword.”

Qiu’yue stepped forward. She bowed. Then she summoned Quiet Thoughts. The silver blade resonated as if meeting an old friend. Shaking uncontrollably, Qiu’yue lost her grip on the blade. Set free, the sword shot forward at Sect Master Lin. Grunting, Sect Master Lin tightened his muscles, adopting the Black Pearl Sect’s most prized defensive art: his skin became as black as metal and a mist seeped from his pores. However, the blade stopped at the Silvery Barbarian Kindling Throne and circled around it, slicing through the air with the laughter of chimes.

Sect Master Lin released his martial art and stood up. His eyes were as large as the moon. He said in awe, “This, this is a mystical treasure on par with my Silvery Barbarian Kindling Throne!”

Elder Wang nodded. “There is no method of faking the spiritual resonance of legendary artifacts. Take a closer look. I know you have read the books.”

Sect Master Lin whispered, uncertain and unsure. “This is Quiet Thoughts — one half of Duality.”

“Yes, even the founder of Yue Yun Sect, the ascended deity Sun Devouring Moon, treasures this child. To give up his own blade, is that not almost as if saying she is like a daughter to him?”

“But one —”

“Even if no one cares for the Yue Yun Sect, the deity known as Sun Devouring Moon still strikes awe and fear into mortal hearts and cultivator souls alike! If he summons up old friends, who would refuse? And even if no one responds, that does not dilute the power he possesses as an ascended deity. Perhaps your sect backed by other sects will emerge victorious, but at what cost? How many will fall to his strength and knowledge? And suppose, somehow, you chance upon a deity with the same attachment to mortal affairs as Sun Devouring Moon — how will one repay a debt to a deity?”

“Fine! We will not harm these two,” Sect Master Lin threw up his hands in exasperation. “Are you happy now, Elder Wang?”

Elder Wang chuckled and stroked his beard. “Yin Chai, I’ll be happier if you call me Grandpa like you used to. And, I never said not to harm them. However, I was merely explaining why these two are treasured and why the Yue Yun Sect should not be looked down upon. I am a strong purveyor of good medicine. Good medicine is bitter. If a child has done wrong, he must be punished.”

Sect Master Lin rubbed his eyes and groaned. “Fine! Let these two be flogged in public a hundred strokes to — wait, what cultivation stage are you two at? I am so infinitely stronger that I cannot sense it at all.”

“Fifth stage,” Qiu’yue responded. Sect Master Lin tilted his head at that information.

“Sixth stage,” Senior Sha said.

“A thousand strokes for each,” Sect Master Lin decided. He waved his hands and ordered, “I wish to be left in peace now. Lei’Yo-La take Xi Shi to be treated.”

“However, simply punishment would be too harsh in the public’s eyes. And the knowledge that these two killed six of our outer disciples — even if they are outer disciples — will cause us to lose face.”

“You suggest covering up their crimes,” Sect Master Lin scowled, clenching his fists.

“Yes. It is common knowledge the overconsumption of pills have many undesirable side-effects,”

Elder Wang looked at Sect Master Lin with a pitying look. He continued his thoughts, “If even the students of the Black Pearl Sect are so heavily afflicted with side-effects to lose so badly, well, we would be seen as impotent basically. And we should mask the punishment as well.”

“To shift the perception as being harmful and involuntary to being a fair deal of sorts,” Sect Master Lin interrupted. “Right?”

“My, Yin Chai, after near 50 years, you finally understand economics and social engineering!”

“And I suppose, you want something along the line: Two bold and bright, young disciples. An ardent desire to participate in the contest to be named a Youth of Bian Qiao! Yet, unable to due to their young age — so they strike a deal with the cordial and charismatic and powerful Sect Master Lin. Endure 1000 strokes with the public as witness, in return, an invitation to the pill festival’s new games in honor of the prince!”

“Exactly as you say, Yin Chai,” Elder Wang chuckled.

“This new competition is to become a Youth of Bian Qiao — the rewards are too tantalizing: a set of over a hundred bottles of pills, a copy of Bian Qiao’s Study of Herbs and Poisons, and a secret technique known only to his last living student, you, the Sage of the Pulse! There's even a fancy title presented by the prince himself! It's a chance to rub shoulders with the future Emperor. Even if some of the trials are not life-threatening, their competitors will be ruthless; for, that is the law of the cultivators.”

“Again, good medicine is bitter. Haven’t I always told you that, Yin Chai? The trials will be a good lesson to foolish children with no forethought.”

“Fine, we will do that.”

Smiling, Elder Wang bowed and led the two children beside him outside.

Hai’Deng stayed behind and took Xi Shi’s body into his arms. The battered fairy writhed and

moaned. It was as if the mind of a worm was trapped in a human’s body.

“Lei’Yo-La, do you not care for your sister?” The sect master stood from his throne and leapt down in front of the boy. “I know you are blind, so you are not fearful of my eyes. But a blind man is not also a retarded man, no? You understand your position as my mad mutt. I own you. Do not forget whose hands feed you — it is not his.”

“Yes, Sect Master Lin,” Hai’Deng nodded and swallowed his frustration.

“How is the plan coming along?”

“It’s coming along, but it’s slow.”

“Maybe it’s because you aren’t trying. You know I have no use for trash.”

“Yes, Sect Master Lin.”

“Though I can’t fault you when you’re trying to poison the Sage of the Pulse.”