“Lady Lin Xiulan is busy preparing for tonight’s banquet, and isn’t seeing visitors. Whatever business you have can wait until tonight.”

Yue scowled at the temple guardian barring her way.

“Tell her it’s urgent! I need to speak with her right away—this cannot wait!”

Jia grimaced.

“Yue—we’re fine, it can wait—”

“Your opinion is invalid by definition, Jia. I’m not letting this fester another second more than it needs to. Feng Shun, if you don’t let us through in the next five seconds, I will make you, and then have you do something horribly embarrassing for the inconvenience of forcing my hand.”

The man started to sweat nervously.

“Miss Yan Yue, I have my orders—wait, you remember my name?”

“Of course I do. I wouldn’t dream of disrespecting one of the noble guardians of the Xin Clan’s inner sanctum unless the issue was truly important!”

He rubbed his face and groaned.

“Alright, but the Lady really did say that she wasn’t to be disturbed.”

“I’ll take responsibility for my own actions. Thank you.”

The guard stepped aside and Yue dragged Jia and Eui past him into a long corridor that Jia couldn’t map with her domain due to another xiantian presence blanketing the entire wing of the temple. Eui gave Yue a sidelong glance as they moved.

“Pretty lucky you happened to know that guy, huh?”

Yue rolled her eyes.

“I’ve never spoken to him before in my life. I just made it a point to learn the names of all the core and inner disciples of the sect. Eidetic memory has its perks. Xiulan, I know you’re listening, please don’t make me prostrate myself before your chambers like some common maid—this is important.”

The air around them grew chill as Yue spoke, and a flurry of snow swept through the hall. It coalesced into a swirling vortex that obscured their vision before falling away to reveal a woman. Her skin was white as snow, with dark black hair that fell down to her waist and icy blue eyes. A frosty mist fell from her shoulders and collected around her feet as she glared down at the trio.

“You should know better than to disrespect me in front of our guests, daughter-in-law.”

Yue smiled thinly and bowed.

“The wedding is still some seasons away, mother-in-law, but if I am to be considered family, then so too are Lee Jia and An Eui—they are my soul-sisters, and without them I would still be a bird in a cage.”

Lin Xiulan frowned slightly, her eyes barely flickering across Jia and Eui before returning to Yue.

“We’ve made every effort to see to your comfort, Yue, but you are still caged.”

Yue narrowed her eyes and smiled like a cat cornering a mouse.

“Perhaps so, but now I’m a caged tiger.”

Lin Xiulan held her gaze for a long moment before suddenly laughing and stepping forward to pull Yue into an embrace.

“Well said! Ahh, what a shame you couldn’t be my daughter in truth—you’d make such a perfect match for my Wei’er. Are these the ones, then?”

Yue pried herself from Xiulan’s arms and gestured at Jia and Eui.

“Lee Jia, An Eui, meet Lin Xiulan, Grand Elder of the Spiritual Flowing Purewater Sect, and matriarch of the Xin clan.”

Jia and Eui bowed, and Lin Xiulan covered her mouth and chuckled.

“Oh, stop. I’m no ‘matriarch.’ Hai is still the ruler of the clan and sect. Now what’s so urgent that you had to bring them straight here like this?”

Yue frowned.

“Lee Jia and An Eui are my closest friends—soul-sisters, as I said. I owe them everything and would give my life for them without hesitation. They are also enthralled to the junior fox princess.”

Lin Xiulan’s face hardened, her expression and voice immediately becoming as icy as her appearance.

“Explain.”

Jia waved her hands and shook her head.

“It’s not like that! It was an accident that happened in training. We just—”

“That’s enough.”

Xiulan stepped forward and stood directly in front of Jia.

“Please allow me to inspect your souls. If what you say is true, then what I see will speak for itself.”

Jia exchanged a glance with Eui and gripped her hand before looking up to meet Lin Xiulan’s icy gaze.

“Fine. I trust that Eunae would never hurt us, even subconsciously, and I trust Yue that she wouldn’t take us to you if she thought there was any danger. Do what you have to.”

Lin Xiulan raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly.

“Well, that’s quite the resolve. I suppose you’ll go first, then. Close your eyes and relax, don’t try to resist.”

Jia squeezed Eui’s hand and closed her eyes as Xiulan rested a hand on her forehead. Yoshika felt a thread of essence weave its way carefully into her meridians. Though it initially felt like an invasion, she quickly recognized the technique. It was the last thing she’d ever expected to see from a Qin cultivator, but Yoshika knew exactly what to do.

With a deep breath, Yoshika reached out and allowed the thread of qi to connect to her own, guiding it deep into her soul. Normally, she would have then brought the thread back out to connect to her own offering, but Lin Xiulan’s technique was completely one-sided.

Anyone else would have found themselves cut off from their own essence once they’d handed over control, but Yoshika was an expert in dual cultivation. Her consciousness retreated deep within her soulscape, bringing Lin Xiulan’s qi with it.

The familiar ground of the academy took form around her in the shape of a snowy field just outside the walls. Lin Xiulan spun around to take everything in, her eyes widening in surprise before she caught sight of Yoshika and gasped.

“You! Is this some kind of trap? How are you doing this?”

Yoshika smirked.

“I guess Yue never told you that we’re partners. I’m Yoshika, the shared soul of Lee Jia and An Eui. It’s nice to meet a fellow expert in dual cultivation.”

Lin Xiulan frowned.

“Tsk, that little minx! Does Wei’er know about this?”

“Xin Wei? He was the first to discover us, actually—long before we even met Yan Yue. It was really annoying.”

“That little brat! He never told me either!”

Yoshika shrugged.

“Well I’m glad that my friends were willing to keep my secret. My understanding is that dual cultivation is outlawed in the empire as demonic—though clearly there’s more to it than that.”

Xiulan huffed irritably.

“Well, yes, but that’s a conversation for later. I told you not to resist!”

Yoshika held up her hands defensively.

“I’m not! This is me cooperating wholeheartedly. If I didn’t let you into my soulscape, you’d have had to connect through me to Eui, and then go digging around yourself. This way I can just directly show you what you want to see.”

The snowy field dropped away and was replaced by the colorful vortex that represented Yoshika’s soul. She gestured towards it.

“See? Inspect away.”

Lin Xiulan pursed her lips and glared for a moment before turning away and gesturing at the vortex. Yoshika felt distinctly uncomfortable as the xiantian cultivator completely overpowered the sanctity of her soulscape to directly manipulate it herself.

The vortex froze in place, all motion ceasing as Lin Xiulan beckoned it closer and carefully spun it around, inspecting it from every angle. In short order, she found what she was looking for.

“This scar. This is what the fox princess left on you?”

Yoshika grimaced.

“Not the fox princess, no. Seong Eunae is not her ancestor.”

“But she does share her power. And just as strong, too. If she’s capable of this much now, then how much more dangerous will she become in a hundred years? A thousand?”

“I don’t know. But power is power. It can be used for good or ill, but Eunae can’t be judged just for having it.”

Xiulan glanced back at the scar and furrowed her brows.

“Perhaps not, but she clearly has used it. The Soulfire has left its mark on you as deep as anything I’ve seen—and I have met thralls of the true fox princess. This reaches deep into the very core of your being, and could have fundamentally changed the very fabric of your being.”

“You seem pretty confident of that considering that every other imperial cultivator has told me that soul magic is impossible.”

Lin Xiulan gave Yoshika a flat, unimpressed look.

“Don’t be coy, girl. You’re not as good at it as my daughter-in-law.”

“Fine. You said ‘could have.’ Should I take that to mean that it hasn’t?”

“I can’t say for certain but...no, I don’t think so. Its influence hasn’t touched any of our interactions—even when you ardently defended the one who scarred you. Your care for Seong Eunae is genuine, and that’s a major point in her favor.”

Yoshika hated how relieved she felt to hear that. It bothered her that she didn’t trust Eunae as much as she wanted to.

“Can you fix it? You’re surprisingly familiar with soul magic.”

Lin Xiulan smiled sadly and shook her head.

“No, I’m familiar with the results of soul magic. I’m old enough to remember the fox princess and the damage she wrought—the lives she ruined. I was the grandmaster of my own sect, then—before we were merged into the Flowing Purewater. I saw hundreds, perhaps thousands of her victims with scars just like this one. For most of them, a painless death was the best I could offer.”

Yoshika swallowed nervously.

“I hope you don’t think that’s required here.”

Xiulan chuckled darkly.

“Not as far as I can tell, no. I don’t know any magic to influence the soul, but there is...treatment. A sort of therapy. The soul is incredibly resilient against outside forces, but what is cultivation if not the intentional reshaping of one’s own soul? Something you seem intimately familiar with...”

She waved a hand and the raw representation of Yoshika’s soul flipped around to reveal another scar. The skin around her horn ached when she looked at it, and she averted her gaze.

“That’s private.”

“You may cover it with your hair—or that cute little horn of yours—but it’s a bit of a stretch to call the brand prominently displayed on your forehead ‘private’ don’t you think?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Lin Xiulan scoffed.

“Of course you don’t. Well, this sort of wound is the kind my therapy is intended for. I’ve only had very limited success with the fox princess’ magically induced scars, but self-inflicted wounds are easier to fix.”

“I’ll take that under consideration.”

“No you won’t—you’re still young and arrogant. That’s alright. If you ever change your mind—you know where to find me. My doors will remain open to you as my...let’s say ‘nieces.’”

Yoshika bowed politely.

“Thank you. Are you satisfied with this? If there’s nothing else you can do to help us, then we’d like to make our own preparations for tonight’s party.”

Xiulan tapped her lips thoughtfully.

“I’d like to speak to this Seong Eunae girl some time soon, along with you. Between her power and your familiarity with dual cultivation techniques...there may be a way.”

Yoshika’s eyes lit up and she stepped forward eagerly. As she did, Xiulan was suddenly distracted by something, glancing back at Yoshika’s soul and frowning as Yoshika spoke.

“Do you think you could help us learn how to control Eunae’s soul magic that way? We’ve made a lot of progress, but not enough to—”

Xiulan held a finger to Yoshika’s lips, narrowing her eyes and focusing intently on her soul.

“Oh, that is sneaky. Finally, a reaction.”

“W-what?”

“The geas your friend has placed on you doesn’t change a core part of you—it uses it. Leeches off your personality like a parasite, twisting your genuine desire into something that serves its own wishes.”

Yoshika crossed her arms.

“I keep trying to tell you it wasn’t Eunae. I made a deal with her inner spirit, I just can’t remember what it was.”

“I see. Well, it’s tapping into your ambition. Your desire for self-improvement in combination with your domain of cooperation and unity naturally drives you to uplift those around you—quite commendable, really. The geas just nudges that inclination specifically towards Seong Eunae and her Soulfire.”

“Okay? Sounds like it’s trying to just get me to do something I would have done otherwise.”

Xiulan nodded.

“Yes, essentially. Though it’s forcing you to prioritize it over other things.”

“Does that change anything?”

“Perhaps. I’ll call for you and your friend once I’ve given it more consideration.”

In an instant, Xiulan’s presence withdrew from Yoshika’s soul, and she blinked her eyes to find herself back in the realm of the physical. Lin Xiulan was already ushering them out by the time she regained her bearings.

“It was lovely meeting you, girls. I’ll see you at tonight's banquet, and make sure to bring that sister of yours. I heard about her illness—poor thing. I promise I’ll see what I can do for her, but for now I really must get back to my preparations. Farewell!”

The door clacked shut behind them before she could respond, and Lin Xiulan’s presence vanished. Yue gave her a nervous smile and bowed apologetically.

“Sorry. Lady Lin Xiulan can get a bit...intense. Is everything alright?”

Yoshika frowned.

“We don’t know. There are about a million questions we want to ask her, but she’s kind of scary. You never told us she was—”

Yue slapped a hand over each of Yoshika’s mouths, even though only Jia’s body had been speaking.

“Surprisingly friendly, right? She’s been like a second mother to me, so I hope you get along.”

The urgency in her eyes sent a clear message. ‘Do not talk about Xiulan’s dual cultivation technique.’

That should have been obvious, in hindsight, but it only left Yoshika with even more questions.