Chapter 31 – Family Visitation

  Feng Xueying was walking through the streets of their Black Brigade territory. She usually went alone, but Yao Luchen wanted to tag along this time. According to the healing sessions so far, he only needed one more before the core was fully healed.

  Which made her wonder—if Yuhan Diyuan could simply just heal a core with his arte, couldn’t he have done that with her? He didn’t need her core healing recipe.

  Though, as she thought that, she remembered he said something about her core being weaker than normal and that needed to be fixed too. He had knowledge on things that not even the immortals at the Virtuous Wind Sect were aware of. One thing she was still getting used to was her new ability to sense people’s cultivation when they weren’t even an immortal.

  And yet she was still perplexed as to why she only sensed Yuhan Diyuan at the Perfect Harmony Stage. With his strength, wouldn’t he be a Martial Master? Or maybe even a Martial Grandmaster?

  “I really like how Senior Brother runs his territory,” Yao Luchen said.

  “You’re calling him Senior Brother?”

  Yao Luchen thumped his chest. “Of course. You should think about it too. Better to have him be a brother than a boss, you know? And it’s not like it’d hurt. Look at this street now. It looks nothing like what it’d used to.”

  He was right about that. They were walking through the market stalls, where most of the structures had been repaired using the Black Brigade money. That was ordered by Manager Fanjian, not Yuhan Diyuan. Manager Fanjian believed that cleaning up their streets would invite others to come and shop here, which in turn would allow Black Brigade to be prosperous in the long run.

  That said, Manager Fanjian would need to focus on his own cultivation soon enough. Xueying felt like she was on a cusp of something with her martial arts. Once she completed her preparations, she, too, would leave to go back to her hometown. She wouldn’t go right away, of course. As long as Yuhan Diyuan needed her here, she would stay. But seeing how he’s building the foundation of the Black Brigade, she had the feeling they wouldn’t need her for more than a few years.

  “By the way, did you know that Senior Brother Diyuan never checks out his own territory?” Yao Luchen asked.

  “Hm?” Her thoughts returned to the present.

  “Doesn’t that suggest how humble he is?”

  Xueying wasn’t sure how to respond to that.

  “I mean, look at the people here. See how they treat us.” Yao Luchen waved at a stall owner who had tossed him a free fruit.

  They were indeed happier now than they were before. That didn’t change how they saw her, though. They would smile towards her like they did to anyone else, but it always ended in some sort of sigh of pity or a pang of regret that she somehow ruined her own life. If not for that, she would barely remember she had scars on her cheeks.

  “And I’ve heard how he came up with these etiquette rules. He’s very virtuous. No stealing. Help the poor. Don’t turn a blind eye on wrongful deeds.”

  Xueying opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. None of that was what Yuhan Diyuan had told them. In fact, he taught them how to rob someone. She remembered that etiquette quite plainly as it had caught her off guard. The rule was that if you were going to steal, you should leave behind something of equal value and don’t be overbearing.

  As for wrong deeds, that was up for interpretation. He had a strong mindset to protect those who never cultivated. She wondered why he gave them so much attention.

  A woman’s voice down the street. It was familiar. Xueying went that way and Yao Luchen followed automatically. When in view, Xueying was able to see Yiyi, one of their guards. Yiyi was talking to her grandmother, whose eyesight had been restored during Yuhan Diyuan’s open healing event.

  Xueying noticed right away that the scar on Yiyi’s face was no longer there. She had fully healed herself using the Beautification Pills.

  And she was proud of it, based on her conversation with her grandmother. “Look, grammy.” Yiyi postured her face in different directions, all too glad to show what she had been hiding for a while now.

  “I’m not surprised there,” the grandmother said. She was standing upright despite her age. The meat stall behind her revealed that she was from a butcher’s family. A commoner family that worked hard to make a keep. Their ties with the Xia family came from Yiyi, where her father was the patriarch. But after Yiyi’s mother died and the patriarch tried to marry her off, she cut her face and left.

  A crowd started to gather around Yiyi. They began asking about her healed face and welcomed her “back.” Xueying paused for a moment. To walk amongst them now would just be a burden.

  She turned and left.

  “You know, I never did ask how your core got cracked.” Yao Luchen followed after her. “Is that also related to your scars? Where are you even from?”

  It would be great if he had some tact. She had forgotten that he was still a child despite his prodigy martial skills.

  “Hm, a better question to ask is what happens if your core is pieced together but still doesn’t work?” She looked over to him thoughtfully. “Is that something we can pluck out of you to sell, then heal again to sell again? I’m sure you won’t mind a surgery scar on your body.”

  “Ahha…ha… Noted.”

  “But that’d be messy. A lot of blood. We could use that blood as bait for demonic beasts when we start hunting them again. And maybe some of your fingernails just for jewelry. You’d be like a fish where no part gets unused.”

  “…I think I should call you Senior Sister instead of just Senior. I’ll feel safer that way.”

  Xueying smiled. She noticed then that he had several other free items in his hands now, including a wooden sculpture from one of the vendors.

  “I’m not stealing them,” he said defensively. “Everyone’s grateful. And I’m accepting their gratefulness. On behalf of our Black Brigade, of course.”

  Was he really part of the Black Brigade now? He would still need to deal with his own household before long. With that in mind, as the older and wiser Senior Sister, she should probably pass on Yuhan Diyuan’s thoughts on the matter—tactfully.

  “To answer your question, my core cracked because of my brother,” Xueying said. “When I refused to marry, he struck me in public in hopes I would give up on cultivation. Also so that the offending family wouldn’t annihilate us.”

  “Yeah, I know that feeling,” Yao Luchen said, rubbing at his torso. “When my great uncle shattered my core, it took me a long time to come to terms that he did it for our family.”

  She was careful on how she worded her next part. “Sometimes stern action is needed for the betterment of all… But sometimes that’s just an excuse. Blood family could sometimes be the most bloodthirsty. Especially when they have wealth to gain.”

  He gave her a rather disbelieving look. “My great uncle isn’t like that. Many of the other elders even came to me and told me he did what he had to do and not to blame him about my core.”

  “I wasn’t talking about your core.”

  He looked confused. Well, maybe someone else can suggest that Yuhan Diyuan thinks his great uncle plotted against his father to take the patriarch spot.

  “You don’t need to pity me for not using a Beautification Pill. I do have the Spiritweave Consolidation Pill,” Xueying said. “Once I get a breakthrough pill, I’ll be able to become an immortal right away.”

  “You too?” Yao Luchen patted his storage bag at his waist. “I’ve inherited my father’s things. Or at least the stuff that wasn’t missing.”

  But they couldn’t continue their conversation. Yiyi ran down the street shouting for her.

  “We have to go back!” Yiyi yelled. “They’re going to our base!”

  Xueying couldn’t help but notice how pristine her face looked. A small feeling crept up that she quickly pushed down. “Who is?”

  “My father! And everyone’s father!”

  Xueying let the information sink in. For what reason were they going? Were they bringing their people and expecting a fight? They had no reason to fight, though. But even as she thought that, Xueying noticed Yiyi’s lack of scar again.

  So that’s why.

  “Come, Junior Brother, let’s see how bloodthirsty these families really are.”

  ***

  Xueying made it back to base before the big families arrived. She immediately went to the main hall and found Yuhan Diyuan and Manager Fanjian discussing things. They were already aware.

  “The Niu family is coming to request tribute, apparently,” Yuhan Diyuan said. “And with a show of force. His troops are the families of our formerly scarred people by the sound of it. Officer Feng Xueying, call our women here. Manager Fanjian has already prepared our own forces for potential conflict. This will be a good learning experience for all of you.”

  Xueying turned to leave to get her girls when she let his words tumble through her head. A good experience for you all? He didn’t consider it experience for himself? She was curious to see what he’d do in this situation.

  It wasn’t hard to find her people. They were huddled together with a flood of fear dominating their faces. Some trembled and had to sit.

  They saw her.

  “Xueying! What do we do?”

  They touched their clear faces. They didn’t want to scar themselves again, but they also knew why their families were coming.

  “Trust in Leader Diyuan,” Xueying said. “Don’t forget how he acted against the former bosses.”

  They nodded slowly, using her calm as their own. They got up and followed her.

  They gathered into the hall just before they heard their uninvited guests come from around the street corner. Her women gave nervous glances to each other and to Yuhan Diyuan.

  “You six, line up and face the door so you can see who comes,” Yuhan Diyuan ordered.

  The six healed women obeyed. Xueying wasn’t sure what was going through their leader’s mind at the moment. She didn’t think he would offer them as a trade for anything. She tried to get a glimpse of his thoughts by examining him, but he was…normal? He just sat there, leaning against the arm rest where he rested his cheek on his hand.

  The Black Brigade front gates were already open when a group of people marched in. Xueying recognized the man leading them. It was Niu Xingtao. He was a weak middle-aged man with an unstable breath. She could sense that he was at the Great Tempering stage, but he must have forced himself to that level with pills without consolidating it. He didn’t have all that great of a standing within the Niu family itself as he was just a branch family member, though he still managed to use their family influence to have three wives. He didn’t bring any of the Niu family guards with him. Probably thought the families behind him were a large enough force.

  Next to Niu Xingtao was the Xia family’s patriarch, Xia Puti. Amongst the families that came, he would be the most influential. Each of the families brought between two to four guards with them. The stronger the guards, the fewer that were needed. Almost all of the patriarchs themselves were at the Perfect Harmony Stage.

  Standing on the sides with Xueying were the other Black Brigade guards. Yao Luchen was among them despite not having a fully fixed core.

  “What brings the Niu family and all these other esteemed guests to my Black Brigade?” Leader Diyuan asked.

  Niu Xingtao waited for a moment and frowned. He was expecting people to salute him due to being a member of the Niu family, but Leader Diyuan had given strict orders to not salute when he did not.

  “You are new around here, I can tell,” Niu Xingtao said. “I am Niu Xingtao of the Niu family. Let’s start from the beginning. First, allow me to congratulate you on becoming the leader of the Black Brigade. Much like your predecessors, we had an agreement when it came to the allotted lands that belong to you. We can’t manage all the city streets ourselves, so we’re allowing you the benefit of holding onto it for us, for a price.”

  “Hm.” Leader Diyuan turned towards Manager Fanjian. “How many people are named Yuhan Diyuan in this world?”

  “Not many, I imagine,” Manager Fanjian responded.

  “At least over ten,” Leader Diyuan corrected.

  “Of course. My apologies. I meant there weren’t many who weren’t named Yuhan Diyuan.”

  “And how many of those millions of Diyuans have debts on their names?”

  “Many would be fated to have debts,” Manager Fanjian said.

  “And how many of those debts would I be required to pick up because I share the same name?”

  “None, Leader Diyuan.”

  Leader Diyuan returned his attention back to the group. “As you’ve just heard, we are not the same Black Brigade that you’ve had prior interactions with. Same name, but different. Any debts or deals you’ve had with them does not apply to us.”

  Niu Xingtao scoffed. “Then you won’t mind if my Niu family takes back our territory.”

  Leader Diyuan turned to Manager Fanjian again. “How many people would say that our territory is the Black Brigade territory?”

  “All of them, I imagine,” Manager Fanjian responded.

  Leader Diyuan turned his attention back to Niu Xingtao in mock confusion. He must be enjoying the situation, seeing as how he didn’t bother to divert the conversation elsewhere. Xueying would have assumed this could have gone back and forth several times, but someone else in Niu Xingtao’s party got annoyed enough to speak up.

  Xia Puti stepped forward. He didn’t even bother looking at his daughter who stood in front of Leader Diyuan in a line with the other girls. They were like a defiant wall, not hidden or ashamed.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  “I have come to collect my wayward daughter. I thank you for keeping her busy, but it’s time she learned her duties. I intend to set a match for her with Niu Xingtao here.” Xia Puti motioned to the man next to him. “A blessing for her, I’m sure you’ll agree.”

  Xueying watched Yiyi’s face. The way her facial muscles twitched or how she tried to rein in control showed her thoughts on the matter.

  [Which one is Yiyi?] Leader Diyuan asked.

  He looked to Xueying for an answer. She pointed with her eyes.

  [Ah, the one who enjoys the scholar, Yibei.]

  Yiyi mustered up some courage and spoke out. “I will never go with you! And to marry me off to a man who already has multiple wives when you know I want to marry for love!”

  Xia Puti let out a sigh but otherwise didn’t acknowledge or even glance at his daughter. “You see what I must deal with? Such blatant disrespect in any household would not stand. A husband would tame her.”

  Leader Diyuan nodded, which came as a surprise to Xueying.

  “Blatant disrespect is an apt way to put it,” Leader Diyuan said. “Something all of you have experience in. Not one of you have greeted me properly since entering my territory. I’ll give you the opportunity to correct that error now.”

  Xia Puti motioned with his hand dismissively. “As Junior Xingtao had said already, you are new around here. It would not be proper for us to greet first in this setting.”

  Those who saluted first in an official capacity usually meant they were of lower standing. Since no one here was on friendly terms with the other, all interactions would be considered official.

  “You are correct, I am new,” Leader Diyuan said. “So teach me your ways. What should I do in this circumstance?”

  Despite saying that, Leader Diyuan remained casually seated, leaning on the arm rest of his chair. Though his words may sound like someone willing to learn, his posture and demeanor suggested otherwise.

  Not that it mattered to Xia Puti. As one of the patriarchs here, he would assume he had full control of the situation.

  “The answer is simple. We each have our own roles and duties in life. It is not the role of a woman to protect the family, but the man. A woman is physically weaker. She can bring honor to her family’s household by bridging a union with another family. With this, two sides can prosper. Instead of conflict, peace can be obtained. We all have aspirations when we’re young, but we grow out of them. It is time for my daughter to grow up and do her duty.”

  “I know a thing or two about the responsibilities within the family,” Leader Diyuan said. “I am curious about something, though. You can see they don’t have scars on their face anymore. That’s only possible because of the Beautification Pill. How would you compensate me for the pills that healed your daughters?”

  Xueying could see a bit of tremor on the six girls. They probably felt like a display at the present, rather than a person.

  But Xueying knew differently.

  Right now, Leader Diyuan was showcasing his etiquette rules. When he was “robbed” by the Infinite Wealth Auction House, he had one hundred thousand spirit stones stolen through the storage ring. Not only had he obtained those stones back, he made the auction house gift him items worth up to one hundred thousand spirit stones in total as compensation.

  Leader Diyuan wasn’t about to sell off their girls; he was doing discovery work on how much he would rob from the houses that arrived today.

  “Now you see what these selfish women are capable of. Any opportunity meant for you was stolen by them. To take them off your hands would be doing you a favor,” Xia Puti said. “In this manner, you would be seen as a reasonable man who kept families united.”

  Niu Xingtao added in his own thoughts. “How many of them do you think are considering scaring their faces again right now? Their original face was given to them by their parents, which they’ve ruined. What compensation did they give to their parents? This is the troubles of youth.”

  “So…no compensation?” Leader Diyuan summarized. “I am of the same mind as you when it comes to the responsibilities of a family. There’s a reason why filial piety is so strong in many homes. The daughters who accept their duty into marriage, I don’t think they’re wrong. And the women who reject that duty, I don’t think they’re wrong either. Do you know why?”

  Xueying could tell the patience was waning from the opposing side. They don’t seem to care about what Leader Diyuan was saying. Being lectured by someone much younger than them was an experience they would rather not have.

  “Families must do what they can. Sometimes to survive, sometimes to get ahead. Women can be filial and entertain the greater good by selflessly helping their family. I can appreciate that. None of that is wrong. On the other hand, when the woman rejects her family’s will, she mimics the path of a cultivator, who rejects the heavens’ will.” Leader Diyuan looked down at the six women in a line before him. “I don’t care either way what the women do. So let’s ask them. If any of you wish to rejoin your family, go ahead and do so. To not do so would be to carve your own path where the future is uncertain.”

  Xia Puti murmured something about being annoyed by asking them for their opinion. Xueying watched as each of the girls began to hold hands with one another in solidarity. They stood straighter when they did so.

  “You seem to be misunderstanding something,” Xia Puti said. “This isn’t a request.”

  A guard with Xia Puti stepped forward. Xueying recognized him to be Xia Ke. “This is ridiculous. Unless the women are immortal, they shouldn’t even touch a weapon. They can never beat a man. They’ll just die pointlessly to demonic beasts if they ever leave the city.”

  “Feng Xueying, step up,” Leader Diyuan commanded.

  She obeyed and moved to stand between everyone. She had her hand on her sword hilt, ready to draw it.

  “You can take all six women away if Feng Xueying is defeated,” Leader Diyuan said with a hint of finality boredom. “Ah, and don’t bother fighting one at a time. Send as many people as you want at once.”

  Xueying froze.

  What?

  She didn’t know what to think. The weakest person on the opposing side would probably be Niu Xingtao with his unstable foundation, but he wouldn’t fight. Everyone else was at the Great Tempering Stage at minimum, or at the Perfect Harmony Stage, which would be equal to her own.

  She had no confidence that she could win.

  Xia Ke jeered. “Are you trying to make us lose face by ganging up on a woman?”

  “Not at all,” Leader Diyuan said. “Officer Feng Xueying is the source of all your troubles. She is the original sin. Everyone got their idea to scar their face because of her. She is their role model. Nothing quite like starting a new chapter in life by defeating a gatekeeper from the old.”

  While Xueying knew he was only saying those things to egg them on, she couldn’t help but wonder if she misunderstood his character.

  But whenever doubt crept up, she recalled back to that moment when Leader Diyuan showed up at the Black Brigade for the first time. That oppressive power he brought with him, the sense of death—he did not need to cater to anyone. If he wanted something, he could take it by force. There must be something else at play here that she wasn’t aware of. In any case, she would play along.

  She drew out her sword.

  Xia Ke motioned with his hand and one guard from the Xia family stepped forward. The other families all sent one as well. It was a one versus six battle.

  [It’s not one versus six,] Leader Diyuan’s voice echoed in her head as if he had read her thoughts. [It’s one versus one.]

  No, I’m pretty sure it’s one versus six. But she couldn’t use sound transmission to say that. And among them, three were at the Perfect Harmony Stage. Who could possibly fight three people at the same realm as themselves at once?

  She couldn’t make the first move. If she did, then she’d leave herself open to the others. She selected her defensive stance.

  The first man charged in. She blocked it and used her strength to push back. She immediately pivoted on her heel to prepare for the next wave of attacks.

  But no one had gone second.

  The first man stumbled backwards from her force back. Only then did the second and third person come in at her flanks. She met with one to block his sword and quickly swung her sword to block another.

  They jumped back at the lack of progress from their strikes. Xueying couldn’t help but blink in confusion. If she hadn’t known better, she would have said that those first three people that attacked weren’t at the Perfect Harmony Stage. And yet, all three of them were. Each of their strikes felt rather…weak, to put it simply.

  Even the few Great Tempering Stage officers in the Black Brigade had a stronger force behind their strikes. Xueying couldn’t figure out why since they didn’t have an unstable foundation like Niu Xingtao. Maybe they were holding back because she was a woman?

  They attacked in order. One person would come in and then get easily deflected. Two more would come and more of the same happened. None of them used artes, to keep at least some face when it came to multiple people attacking at once, but that didn’t mean they should have held back.

  She prepared for pincer attacks and quicker attack speeds, but none of that happened. All of these men had greater cultivation than the Sable Watchers team and yet she had struggled against the Watchers to the point of never being able to win. Yet this group of six men of a good cultivation stage couldn’t do anything?

  The longer the battle continued, and the redder the men’s faces got, the more she realized they weren’t holding back. They were using their strength; it just wasn’t very good.

  Xueying recalled how Leader Diyuan emphasized corrections to their breathing techniques and solidifying their Foundation core. Could something like that really cause such a drastic difference in power?

  That was when something clicked for her. When Leader Diyuan told her she was fighting one versus one, it wasn’t because he had already recognized they were weaker than her. It had to do with their unity. She had practiced against the Sable Watchers team long enough to know what proper teamwork should look like, yet these six men couldn’t work together; they got in each other’s way or sat back and watched.

  For the Sable Watchers, it was like fighting one being that had multiple bodies. And that was with only a short time of them training together. Against these six men, it was one dysfunctional being that couldn’t coordinate their limbs to do what it wanted. Like a child who had yet to learn to walk.

  Xueying went on the offensive.

  Many times she sensed that they had an opportunity to wound her, but they never took it like how the Sable Watchers team would have. Her aggressive act finally put one of them to the tipping point and made him use one of his artes.

  The man sprang forward with a yellow lightning energy wrapped around his sword. Xueying instantly thought to redirect it instead of blocking it head on. That was the correct call as the lightning pierced forward, causing the ground to rupture in a small circle. She countered him using the hilt of her blade to hit him on his temple, knocking him down.

  No one else charged in after that. Some seemed embarrassed that a surprise attack with an arte was used, considering that it was an unspoken rule that they weren’t using artes. If anything, not using artes put them at the advantage as they were only using martial skill. Others sensed the wall they were up against and knew they couldn’t win.

  As for Xueying, she felt a thrill of victory. She had not realized just how strong she was. In single combat against anyone in the Black Brigade, she could beat anyone but Yuhan Diyuan, though she had assumed that was simply due to her cultivation level difference. Those thoughts were reinforced when she couldn’t beat the weaker Sable Watchers team, despite many of them only being at the Core Creation Stage.

  Yet here she was, the victor in a match of one versus six.

  Xia Ke looked down at the man who had been knocked to the ground with a level of distaste. “I can see why people think demonic cultivation reigns here.” He looked to Xueying, making it obvious what he meant.

  “Officer Feng Xueying,” Leader Diyuan called from behind, his voice invoking a sense of authority and command. He wasn’t using his previous tone anymore. “Execute him.”

  Before the words had time to wash over everyone for them to register what was said, Xueying’s body had already moved on its own. She jumped forward directly towards Xia Ke and stabbed.

  Her sword pierced Xia Ke’s heart.

  The man’s eyes went wide as he inhaled one last bit of air.

  Xia Puti was standing a little off to the side and barely had time to uncross his arms as he watched his guard die. Niu Xingtao still had his disgruntled face that had appeared when things weren’t going his way, his own brain not yet comprehending what was happening.

  But Xueying didn’t care for any of that. She watched as Xia Ke’s life left his eyes. She watched as the blood spilled from his chest, carrying warmth that would now permanently leave the body.

  She wanted to place her hand on that blood and feel it. She wanted to revel in it. To smear it on her face, to flick it in the air and let it rain on her—

  Xueying shut eyes and forced the thoughts away. What!?

  A sense of reality returned to her when she felt the weight of Xia Ke’s body leave her sword and hit the ground. She opened her eyes and realized what she had just done without meaning to.

  A different kind of thrill had risen in her being. A satisfaction. She had wanted to kill. Or…no, that couldn’t be it. She wanted to defend her women and the reason why this man had to die was because… Because why? Her mind wouldn’t work properly.

  Voices started to shout. Each sound slowly let her be grounded again. She turned to see the angry words thrown at Leader Diyuan.

  “The reason I became the leader of the Black Brigade was because the younger members attacked me for that very rumor,” Leader Diyuan explained. “To declare, or even hint, that we’re a demonic cultivation group is the same as assigning us with death. I will kill everyone who threatens our lives.”

  “Then you wouldn’t mind if we went to war with the Black Brigade, do you?” Xia Puti spat back.

  “I would accept it,” Leader Diyuan said calmly. “The same people you brought to protect you couldn’t even force Feng Xueying to use her artes. How do you think you’ll fare against the men who have never lost against her?”

  Xueying let out a laugh. Of course, Leader Diyuan was referring to her losing against the Sable Watchers team, or maybe even himself, but the way he worded it made a play on their focus on men being better. It was strangely a relief to hear him talk such nonsense against them. The strange darker side she had just felt was more like a distant dream that someone else had experienced.

  Ah, she was still laughing.

  She stopped. Everyone was looking at her. She cleared her throat and saluted.

  “Leader Diyuan, I have executed the man who used his tongue to slander us. Per etiquette rules: the tongue often brings destruction. If someone speaks in a way that defames the Black Brigade or you, you may either cut off their arm, or take their life, depending on the severity of the words.” Xueying nodded, successfully quoting him.

  “Do you think you can get away from killing one of my people at random?” Xia Puti said. “Yiyi, come here!”

  Yiyi clenched her teeth and raised her chin. She said nothing. She did not move. The woman on each side still held her hand and gripped tighter.

  “And there you have it,” Leader Diyuan said. “I will be waiting for an apology compensation for the demonic cultivation slander. Leave. I will not show you out.”

  ***

  Leader Diyuan called for the Black Brigade to gather. News would spread in the city of the brief conflict that had occurred with the visitation of the families to the Black Brigade. Niu Xingtao couldn’t even bring up the tribute offerings against due to how things had ended.

  Xueying kept her appearance calm. She smiled and petted the six women who had rushed to her after everything was said and done.

  But not everything was done. The families might not sit idly by after losing such face. That must be what Leader Diyuan would be addressing.

  When everyone had gathered, they waited for their leader to speak. Xueying was reminded of the last time they gathered like this, where he taught his etiquette rules and gave a good reason as to why he wasn’t a demonic cultivator. But now they had more people and Yao Luchen among the group.

  “I will tell you what our next steps are,” Leader Diyuan said from his chair. “Officer Feng Xueying, that pill that’s used to consolidate the Spiritweave realm, did we receive only one?”

  Xueying saluted. “Yes, Leader Diyuan.”

  Yao Luchen raised his hand. “Senior Brother, I have one as well. If you want it, I can offer it to you.”

  “Not bad, but you can use it on yourself,” Leader Diyuan said. “The problem we faced together today will not happen again. Tonight, I will refine some pills. I had decided to wait until Feng Xueying got used to her new strength and it seems like she did.”

  The memory of her darker side crept up. Xueying suppressed it.

  “I will refine the Spiritweave breakthrough pills. My next healing session with Yao Luchen should be the last one needed, so both of you will become Spiritweave cultivators afterwards. I will be able to rest easy knowing the Black Brigade has decent power within it.”

  Everyone froze at his words. Even Xueying had a hard time registering.

  “Uh, Senior Brother?” Yao Luchen spoke up tentatively. “Are you sure you can make it? I mean, even the Virtuous Wind Sect only gets a few allocated to them from the Blue Azure Sword Pavilion. From what I hear, the ingredients needed are really hard to get.”

  “Not a problem for me,” Leader Diyuan said. “In fact, I’ll have a third one to spare. But I won’t let anyone use it without one of those consolidation pills. You’ve seen firsthand with Feng Xueying’s duel against the six families exactly what an improper foundation does. She has a good foundation and faced off against them like they were nobodies. There is a different method to breakthrough to the Spiritweave realm without needing my breakthrough pills. I will teach it in due time. So for those of you who are close to level 5 Foundation—er, close to Perfect Harmony Stage, know that the sooner you get there, the sooner you can reach the Spiritweave realm. And lastly…”

  Leader Diyuan focused his attention to the six women who were together.

  “I know I said this before, but I’ll say it again. You are cultivators first before you are women. Do not think you are discriminated against simply because you are women. Such thoughts are a distraction. Men and women both die to cultivators for stupid reasons. Strengthen yourself so you do not need to rely on Feng Xueying anymore. I had said to your old families that she was the original sin for you, but once you carve out your own path, you can become an inspiration to someone else.”

  They each performed a lotus bow in unison. “Yes, Leader Diyuan!” they shouted.

  When the meeting was done, Xueying followed after Yuhan Diyuan and Manager Fanjian.

  “There may be a retaliation,” Manager Fanjian was saying.

  “Once we obtain two Spiritweave cultivators, they will send compensation gifts to us and will leave us alone,” Yuhan Diyuan said.

  “So then we’ll be vulnerable in the meantime,” Manager Fanjian said.

  “Unless they do something today, there shouldn’t be a problem.”

  ***

  Xia Puti let Niu Xingtao whisper in his ear.

  “He did say anyone who called him a demonic cultivator would be put to death,” Niu Xingtao said.

  Xia Puti rubbed his chin thoughtfully. They had stopped in the middle of the road. The shame he was feeling was something he needed to solve immediately. He would have liked to attack then and there, but the strength of Feng Xueying was unexpected. They had not brought a force to deal with too many outliers. Such a gap in strength probably was demonic cultivation. But that wasn’t what they were discussing now.

  “And how did someone like you come up with such an idea?” Xia Puti asked. He had no respect for Niu Xingtao, the imbecile barely thought further than a few days, but the recent idea would help be a salve to his wounds.

  Niu Xingtao grinned, not knowing he had just been insulted.

  Xia Puti turned to the market street they were right next to. Since he was here, he may as well do it now.

  An older man with a balding head had a wood carving stall set up. Different figurines were out on display. The happy attitude of the people on this street irked Xia Puti. It was a reminder of how thankful everyone was to Yuhan Diyuan of the Black Brigade. But let’s see how thankful they’d be now.

  “How dare you accuse Yuhan Diyuan of demonic cultivation!” Xia Puti roared out, letting his voice carry.

  The old woodcarver was startled. He looked around, confused as to who Xia Puti was speaking with. But he came to a quick realization that it was him.

  “Good sir, I’ve never—”

  Xia Puti didn’t bother to listen. There was no point in waiting. According to Yuhan Diyuan’s own laws, killing someone for calling someone a demonic cultivator was justified.

  The people watched, confused themselves as they heard how the man they knew for decades was being accused of such a thing. But that confusion would turn to horror.

  Xia Puti drew out his sword and swung.