Pain engulfs Jianyu’s mind like a tidal wave. He’d felt pain like this once before, but his mind is too fragile to conjure the memory. If every nerve in his body had been exposed simultaneously and burnt to a crisp, it still would pale in comparison to the agony he feels now. The sensation overwhelms his mental fortifications in an instant, and his eyes begin to glaze over.

And then it’s over.

He can feel nothing, say nothing, think nothing. And so he doesn’t.

Then a voice, juvenile yet steadfast, speaks in his head.

‘I will protect you, Father.”

Then everything fades to black.

“On to the next order of business. The outsider, and how to treat this delicate situation. Since the hunters discovered him, the Prime has the floor.”

“Acknowledged.” The experienced hunter cleared his throat before speaking, his words measured and deliberate. “Due to the specific nature of the subject’s body cultivation, there is an 80% likelihood that the subject hails from a martial sect of the Phoenix-,” he began, clearing his throat once more before continuing, “apologies, Hong Kingdom. If I had to guess, I’d say the subject belongs to the Heavenly Cloud Runner sect. His injuries were extensive, so I will allow the Prime Healer to describe his care.”

“As the Prime described, the sectarian’s injuries are extensive; in addition to the presence of poison from an Earl-ranked Spirit Beast, the subject’s dantian has been pierced through, though his cultivation has miraculously remained intact, albeit irreparably damaged. It is my recommendation that any treatment be administered directly by Elder Deng.”

“Seconded,” exclaimed Elder Liu with glee, unwilling to wait for an opportunity to add to his rival’s workload.

Elder Deng took a long drag from his pipe, the sweet yet potent smoke filling his lungs. Sighing, he acknowledged the addendum to his duties.

“That old crone,” he muttered, smoke escaping through flared nostrils.

Elder Deng detested conversation. Flowery words, dithering conversation, witticisms; he hated it all. But it was tradition, and though he didn’t respect it, he had to tolerate it.

Instead of dispersing into the air of the spacious chamber, the residual smoke coalesced around motes of qi. Thicker and thicker the sphere grew, until the Energy Vision of even Prime Enlai could not pierce it, and then thicker still.

When the augmented lungs of the petty elder were empty, he guided the orb, moving the dispersed qi particulates to surround Elder Liu, smoke following like a flock to its shepherd. He coughed and sputtered helplessly, muted by the cloud. The prank did little to help the doctor’s irritation at his ornery colleague, but it did make him chuckle, prompting the Chieftain to raise a single stern eyebrow in response.

“What? He had it coming,” protested the doctor cheekily, wilting under his leader’s gaze. Who, in his position, wouldn’t melt under the compulsion of those knowing scarlet eyes? He hadn’t been able to resist when they’d met those many cycles ago, and not much had changed since.

Pursed lips met his childish declaration, and the young elder let out a conciliatory sigh.

“Oh, all right,” he said, caving under his wife’s disapproval. He cut the link granting him control over the smoke cloud, the qi within the simple matrix dispersing into the atmosphere.

Elder Liu, finally free from asphyxiation, immediately began complaining.

“I must object to this horrid treatment! It is not befitting one as noble as I to be toyed with by insolent children! I demand restitution,” he finished, greed the only thing visible in his shrewd eyes.

‘Oh, the time that could be saved if not for posturing and face,’ thought the doctor sagaciously. Alas, ‘twas not so easy to eradicate an age-old tradition.

“Oh wise, great, and powerful senior,” he began, words dripping with sarcasm, “this junior has spoken out of turn. Please accept this gift in reparation.”

With a thought, Elder Deng sent a ring of holding zipping through the air to land in Elder Liu’s outstretched hand.

At first, Elder Liu intended to exploit his embarrassment even more, but after a cursory scan of the bribe, he stopped. Indeed, a dozen dual-aligned cores at the Count-stage was the perfect gift for one stunted in cultivation like the frail Elder Liu.

“With this gift, I pray you will finally surpass the bottleneck in your cultivation,” finished Elder Deng.

Elder Liu had the weakest cultivation of any councilmember, remaining at the peak of the Foundation stage for nearly a century. As cultivators aged, they natfurally lost their affinity for cultivation, their dao cementing itself in their qi and techniques. That didn’t make them weak, however; though he couldn’t fly like Core cultivators, Elder Liu’s nearly two centuries of life had imparted him a strength to be feared; even Elder Deng didn’t know who would be victorious between the two rivals, and he was at the early-core stage.

Beast cores allowed one to pass the bottleneck that formed with age; this was perhaps the greatest chance the wrinkled elder had to progress to the Core stage. Though he’d be forever stuck at the initial-core level, the depth of his qi stores and experience would rival late-core monsters like the Chieftain.

Perhaps this was why Elder Liu simply harrumphed, ending his tirade against the younger generation and Elder Huan in particular.

The Chieftain cleared her throat, bringing the attention of her council back to the tasks at hand.

“Now, on to the next item on today’s agenda…”

They had work to do.

“Husband dearest, must you antagonize Elder Liu? He is unpleasant enough without your antics,” pleaded the Chieftain.

This was a discussion the couple had frequently; Deng Huan simply couldn’t resist an opportunity to rib his senior.

“I must, for as long as he is unreasonable I will respond in kind. It’s in my nature,” responded Deng Huan.

And it was in his nature; part of cultivating to the Core stage was collapsing the pillars you created in Foundation Establishment around a singular guiding principle. The Chieftain’s was strength of will to protect her and hers; his was formless reactivity. What else could one expect from a triple affinity of wood, fire, and wind? After all, wind was at a higher tier than the traditional elements of wuxing.

As for Elder Liu, if he cultivated to the Core stage, his guiding principle would undoubtedly relate to rigidity and durability; for all his frailness, his qi and will were unbreakable, and even Deng Huan held respect for that.

But wind and earth did not agree, hence the frequent petty disagreements between the two elders.

“Hmph. There’s no point in arguing with you when I know you won’t- can’t change.”

Deng Huan smiled sadly at his wife, as beautiful as the day they’d met many decades ago.

“What of the sectarian?”

The doctor’s visage turned grim, reflecting the severity of his patient’s injuries.

“My brother didn’t exaggerate the boy’s injuries. They are indeed severe; I’ve stitched his dantian closed and extracted what poison I could, but his injuries are dated. If he survives this, it will be on his own power.”

“What are his odds,” asked the Chieftain, slipping seamlessly into her leadership role.

“His odds of survival are less than one in three. Half that he’ll ever cultivate again, and half again that he'll ascend from peak foundation to core within his lifetime.”

“A shame. We could have used his strength in the war to come.”

Deng Huan scoffed. “You still believe the Void will return? The Crimson Empress wiped them all out centuries ago.”

A hint of uncertainty slipped through the Chieftain’s stoic visage, furrowed eyebrows and pursed lips betraying her concern to only those who knew her well.

“I don’t know when it’ll be, but fate has been quiet lately. Too quiet to be coincidence. However they’re covering their tracks, they’re doing it well.”

Deng Huan didn’t enjoy seeing his wife so worried, but the Void Sect was the stuff of nightmares, bedtime stories to scare children.

Alas, disbelief was in his nature, and nature could not be controlled.

He let out a long sigh. This too was a conversation they’d had before, and was unlikely to get anywhere. Such was marriage, but they were better off together than apart.

“I suppose only time will tell.”