Shu Yue was seated cross-legged on her bed, her eyes closed in concentration. Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead, causing it to tickle and itch, but she dared not move and remained focused on recuperating. Her body was wrapped in a silver-white mist known as chi. Warmth spread throughout her body like molten gold as she continued to absorb the surrounding natural energy.

She didn't know how many hours had passed. She had been meditating since she arrived at the Chen residence. But, with only a minor internal injury, it wouldn't take her months to regain her strength.

Another hour had passed, and she ended her meditation. She hadn't fully recovered yet, but she had important matters to discuss with Xiao Ran that couldn't wait until tomorrow. She let out a breath and opened her eyes. The evening had darkened the latticed windows, and the burning candles illuminated her room. Xiao Ran must have lit them up without breaking her concentration.

Xiao Ran was the only one who could go in and out of her room without disturbing her meditation. That being the case, the stubborn yet loyal bodyguard insisted on always standing guard while she healed.

Shu Yue felt herself smile as she looked at Xiao Ran's tall dark silhouette in the latticework door--a human-like form with pointy ears atop his head and a bushy tail poking out behind him. Sighing, she uncrossed her legs and lowered her feet to the floor. She smoothed her robe.

"Xiao Ran," she called out in a quiet voice.

Xiao Ran twitched his fox ears. "Young Mistress?"

"Come here."

Xiao Ran opened the door and went inside, shutting it behind him. He stood by the door in silence for a moment, staring at her. There was dried blood on his sleeve--Shu Yue's blood--which meant he had been standing there the entire time and had never left, waiting and guarding while his master meditated. For five hours.

"I told you you didn't have to stand guard," Shu Yue said softly.

"I didn't want anyone disturbing your meditation," Xiao Ran explained. "If I hadn't been guarding, that kid would have already disrupted your recuperation." He sighed and stepped closer to her. "Do you have something to tell me, Young Mistress?"

"I do," Shu Yue answered with a nod, then looked up at him. His eyes were calm and alert, as if he already knew what was on her mind. "Ah, I presume you already know why I summoned you here?"

"I have some guesses, Young Mistress."

Shu Yue raised an eyebrow at him, encouraging him to continue.

"I'm assuming you want to talk about that girl from the Springbear tribe," Xiao Ran said with a shrug.

Shu Yue smiled. Pleased. "You never disappoint, my dear fox."

Xiao Ran was silent for several seconds, staring at her face, and then said in a soft voice, "You're not fully recovered yet, Young Mistress."

"I will be by tomorrow." She gestured at the tea-table where a warm tea was waiting. "Please take a seat; this discussion is critical to our plans."

Xiao Ran blinked. Then he smiled. "I see you've already determined her role in your plan." He walked over to the tea table and sat down.

"If," Shu Yue said with emphasis, "my theory is correct." She rose from the bed and sat across from Xiao Ran at the table. "But I have no doubt. I sensed something different from her aura. It was faint and hazy, almost undetectable, but it's there."

It was all thanks to the wind, which somehow served as her other senses. Without it, she might never have discovered something about the woman's identity. Reading the wind enabled her to detect things that her normal senses could not. It was as if the wind was whispering secret messages to her like a guide.

Xiao Ran poured tea for them. "I'm guessing using that risky technique has something to do with it as well."

The pleasant aroma of tea tickled Shu Yue's nose as she took a sip. "Your guess is right; I used that technique to check the chi in her dantian."

"And what have you discovered, Young Mistress?"

Shu Yue stared at the tiny teacup in her hand for a few seconds before answering. "Black energy."

Xiao Ran frowned. "Black energy? So that woman is a practitioner of Dark Arts?"

"Was," corrected Shu Yue. "She's now living with the Springbear tribe, which means she's no longer a disciple of any demonic sect, and from what we've seen, she's using normal chi, implying that she's now cultivating natural energy, but it doesn't change the fact that she came from an evil cult and is an outsider to the tribe."

"Cultivating black energy or magic is forbidden within the empire, right? Practitioners of Dark Arts are regarded as traitors and enemies, and their very existence is viewed as a threat, particularly to the emperor's throne."

Shu Yue nodded. "That's right. Because they have destructive and limitless power, which could pose a threat even to the Celestials. That woman from the Springbear tribe must have hidden her true identity. How she concealed the black energy within her body is actually impressive, however, it seems to me that she received assistance from someone."

"By someone, do you mean Dishan?" Xiao Ran asked.

"Associating with a demonic practitioner is already viewed as an act of betrayal. The Springbear tribe wouldn't be that foolish to risk their lives becoming an enemy of the empire just to keep her. My guess is that Dishan is the one who brought her to the tribe and hid her identity."

"Ah, now it makes sense why she acted like an aggressive dog toward you: you hurt and humiliated her master in front of many disciples." Xiao Ran fell silent, his brow furrowed deeply in concentrated thought. He took a sip of his tea. "But she shouldn't be here; if someone finds out, the tribe will be in jeopardy, which would be a huge loss for the Ophiuchus Clan... a huge loss for you."

"Of course, I won't let that happen as it would further harm the clan's reputation." She sets her teacup down with an elegant gesture.

"But aren't you worried, Young Mistress?" Xiao Ran asked as he refilled her cup. "What do you think a demonic practitioner is doing in the Ophiuchus Clan, a faction under the control of the Emperor? And what do you think Dishan's intention is in keeping someone like her?"

"I'm not sure what Dishan's intention is in keeping her, as I still lack information. We might learn more about their motives when we meet them again."

Xiao Ran sipped his tea, a deep frown on his face. "Wait, could the woman be from the Black Moon Sect?"