Once more, those who protect the Jade Empire from the shadows gather in their secret place. A Cloaked man enters the meeting room, coming from a corner of the room where nothing but shadows lay. Others flit about, coming down from the rafters in shapes of animals, or arriving by means of flying sword. Others still seemingly chose mundane ways of entering the room, as evidenced by the man carrying a bow made completely of Jade and the whiskers of wise old spirit beasts.

Jade Arrow, the man who acts as the tip of a scout’s arrow, ensuring threats do not have a chance to enter in the Empire’s lands. He comes up to the table, enquiring about Zhou Mingzie, as nothing mind-blowing has been found yet about him since coming to this Empire.

“Mingzie has largely settled down, for now at least. I am getting some interesting stories out from the Branch leadership he was sent to while taking the next step in his studies” The Guardian Dragon says, alluding to the recent strings of “challenges” Zhou Mingzie and Zhou Zhonglei have been undergoing together. This pair spends a minute briefly discussing the “rogue Dad” problem.

“Ahh yes, someone that far gone down the Path of The Dad can be problematic, especially since all it could take is a careless daughter saying ‘I’m hungry’ before it would set the dad off in an uncontrollable fit of laughter. I believe the last time we came across a case that bad in the Zhang Clan we had to have an intervention with him and completely change his views on humor” Jade Arrow finishes adding to the conversation. He finishes right on time, as the meeting starts to formally begin moments later.

Several of the members look towards Jade Arrow, waiting for him to brief the Protectorate on his new findings. After pausing for a second to ensure this is the will of everyone, he begins. “Ladies and gentleman, after the last meeting, it was decided it would be a good plan to start looking in the other nations and finding out if anyone has already begun to make waves. When I checked the Land of the Morning Calm, otherwise known as the Mech Building Capital, I noticed a tsunami in its infancy”.

Several members try to speak up and ask question, but Jade Arrow just continues on, knowing he has many of their answers. “When I say a tsunami in its infancy, it is because I have found a man, who seems to be making moves to radically improve their nations military and has even been hired by the Royal family to eventually reestablish their family back in the top Clans of their little gladiator tournament”. He finishes up by clarifying that the man, Jack Williams, would still be a low ranked Mech Mechanic, so despite the obvious rising star status he has, and the impact he will have on their military, he will only be affecting the lower ranked members of their military for now. He further hypothesizes that the kid isn’t inherently “pro-war” or is seeking to aid expansion, but that reports indicated an unhealthy obsession with mechs was the cause for his desire to fix the military mech designs.

There were few more murmurs among the general Protectorate but seemed to have largely agreed that if this Jack Williams is a threat to the Jade Empire, he is only one in the future, allowing them some time to take care of other issues. Eventually, they move on to their favorite topic, how to cultivate more geniuses like Jack Williams, to further skyrocket the Jade Empire’s strength. They were not including the obvious Zhou Mingzie, since his genius was currently still only present within the administrative side of their Clan. These discussions prompted Jade Arrow to once again speak up at this meeting, as he used to be relatively quiet among these meetings prior to the Great Arrival.

“I hear people are wishing there were more martial talent among those who have arrived here from Earth within our Empire. While I can’t say anything definitive, a young woman who arrived within the Zhang lands does seem to show an aptitude for fist fighting. I have been considering whether or not to invest in some time and Zhang money towards this girl. Her arrival was not as smooth as others, so I am balancing the risks of making her stronger, especially stronger during the emotional turmoil she is dealing with, to the potential benefits of having someone who can advance a martial path fairly quickly”. This new revelation seemed to spur a new series of heated discussions, allowing Jade Arrow to fade back into relative obscurity.

This meeting while not extremely topic heavy, was very important nonetheless, as it began the change of Jade Arrow. The same individual of the Zhang Clan, that while all means was competent, high ranked, and essential to his Clan, was still an introvert who did not go out of his own way to make changes within his Clan. With these new events and the arrival of this young woman, so gifted with her fists, but hurting so bad, things are beginning to change beyond the scope of what many have expected to go for this blessed archer.

Zhang Sheshou exits from the hidden meeting, arriving back in the Zhang Main Branch in the Capital. Sheshou doesn’t stay super long here, as he only stays here long enough to issue several orders throughout all Zhang branches calling for a variety of fist fighting experts. He has several of the experts who would be willing to, and are sufficiently good at teaching, meet at the Provincial City of Jenan, where a major branch of the Zhang Clan resides. At this point, other high-ranking members, both in terms of their Path, and politically in the Clan, have gotten interested in this new event. Sheshou quickly explains what’s going on to those who know about Earther’s, and his plan to nurture new talent, so that they don’t fall behind the Zhou Clan, as well as do their part in this ever-changing world. They give him provisional authority in the Branch, along with the expectation that goals and expectations will need to be met before this plan can come to fruition. With this plan in place, Sheshou sets out for his new temporary home.