The crowd went silent before Lord Guo’s declaration.

  The man flashed Alex a cold smirk that promised an excruciating amount of pain in his future.

  Yet as stoic as Alex tried to keep his features, he couldn’t help but smirk at the man’s logic, as none other than his supposed wife’s words filled the air.

  “So let me make sure I understand. Your bloodthirsty disciple armed with a jian who tried to slice my husband apart before our eyes even after I pointed out how unfair the match was… he’s the victim? After slicing my husbands arm a dozen times with his blade, taunting my dear Gong about what he would do to me once he killed my husband, who by some miracle deflected the killing lunge… my Gong is at fault? Because he actually managed to hit your psychotic pawn with one punch after enduring a dozen cuts against a clear speed cultivator? How is it my husband’s fault that your protege’s bones were just as brittle as your argument? Both doomed to shatter with a single successful counter!”

  Lord Guo blanched, eyes narrowing with outrage at Rachel’s temerity, a commoner daring to speak so to a noble, no matter that it was on her husband’s behalf, or so Alex sensed as the court’s look of surprise at the man’s original demand turned to snickers and derisive smirks, the mood turning completely against Lord Guo who, it seemed, had been tolerated for any number of reasons, but certainly not welcomed.

  “Is he serious? Our prince made it clear that there would be no vendetta, and that fool would try to twist His Grace’s own terms as an excuse to break those terms.”

  “The man was quick, but all it took was one punch to bring him down, and now that emissary wants Gong’s head.”

  “Of course he does. We all know he just wants to weaken us as much as possible before he tries to claim our city.”

  “If we weren’t in such dire straights with our fading water core…”

  “Quiet, fool. We’re still in court!”

  It became harder for Alex to hold back his smile as the court’s whispers were revealed with the cool breezes that the wind catchers brought from the clever ventilation shafts throughout the palatial chamber.

  It seemed that even Guo could sense the hostility and contempt just underneath the surface that carefully bland court features hid so well, and only in deference to the power the man represented. Yet even the threat of a steel fist behind a silk glove that all were aware of wasn’t enough to sway the court.

  Princess Sunlay’s gaze flattened. “If you’ll recall, Lord Guo, the terms of the duel were quite clear. Any duels or disputes settled within these chambers will go no further than these chambers. No blood debts will be incurred, and the outcome will not be used as a pretext to violate treaties or oaths of nonaggression.” She crossed her arms. “These were the terms you yourself agreed to, just minutes ago. And I’m afraid surrendering the champion of said duel to your custody after your disciple perished to a single counter punch, the only one Gong threw while enduring over a dozen cuts delivered by your own fallen champion who was armed with enchanted steel, whereas our guest was not, would most definitely be violating the terms of the duel in the most egregious way possible.”

  The Crown Prince’s calm demeanor gave nothing away, but Alex sensed that he was pleased with his daughter’s words. Though his brow furrowed as his daughter spoke on.

  “And that you would even suggest such a betrayal of our trust, after doing absolutely nothing to curb your disciple from initiating the duel with live steel before our guest, honor bound to bring no weapons into court, even had a chance to arm himself properly, leaves us all wondering just how fairly you would truck with us in the weeks and months to come. How badly would the odds be stacked against us, if we actually became the protectorate of your—”

  Her words were instantly silenced when her father rapped the armrest of his throne. She froze, before bowing her head. “The court sees the just and honorable duel as resolved.”

  Lord Guo looked ready to protest before he stiffened to instant silence when one of the coldly smiling courtiers before him gently touched his shoulder.

  And in that instant, everything changed. Alex noted how the of emissaries and sycophants shifted in deference to the sleekly muscled man wearing a bemused half-smile upon flawless classical Han features. Though the man wore no cultivator’s robes, and was, in fact, kitted in changshan jacked and tight fitting pants with silken slippers, they were clearly form-fitting and didn’t hinder his movements in the least. Yet what was most striking besides the probing eyes that Alex felt as keenly as a scalpel, eyes that reminded him so much of his former fellow kitsune nightwatchmen who had taught him so much of the killing arts what now felt like a lifetime ago… was the sheer power that the man radiated.

  Alex felt both exhilaration and a warning chill of apprehension, sensing a Silver so deep he was on the cusp of transcendence.

  On the cusp of Gold.

  Yet for some reason, when the man flashed Alex a hungry smile, his sense of foreboding turned to exhilaration, his grin mirroring the man’s own.

  The man chuckled in odd approval, nodding his head even as a pair of men dressed grey robes with crimson sigils cleaned up the remains of Xun Lan within seconds, leaving with a stretcher wrapped in blood-stained sheets, leaving nothing but spotless marble in their wake.

  The man gave a bemused nod. “I see a man who dares to follow his own path, dares to channel conflicting elements in ways that risk Qi deviation… and dares to walk the Path of Peril.”

  Alex smiled but said nothing. Because really, there was nothing for him to say. Not only was he playing at being mute. Besides, there was no way in hell he would give his opponents a deliberate clue as to how his paradigm worked. Or even admit to himself that not even he was sure how Earth had sprung so naturally from Water… which are normally in direct opposition… yet it wasn’t earth so much as sharp stony rocks in a stormy sea bitter with the salty tears of more hardship and peril than most could endure, let alone understand. And perhaps that was the answer right there. For a placid clear lake would forever hide the pebbles upon its bottom. But a wild stormy sea, crackling with lightning and the iodine tang of metallic salts, would most definitely wash all and sundry upon the rocky shoals of oblivion. For Metal was a bridge between those opposing elements, and Wind and Lightning both played roles in facilitating connections between the five classic elements that not all understood or appreciated.

  But mostly Alex said nothing because nothing needed to be said. Regardless of the court’s intentions, both parties knew what was to come. As inevitable as the moons tides and the stormy seas.

  “You may call me Xien Su.”

  Alex dipped his head.

  The man chuckled, whipping free his jian and plunging it so fast that even Alex felt a chill of apprehension when it tore into the far stone wall to the hilt, the loud resounding crack freezing the entire court. And that was with the blade still in it’s sheath. Making it clear that Alex was definitely dealing with a monster of one sort or another.

  Yet Xien Su only smiled, calmly lifting his bare hands, his challenging smile freezing words even upon the Crown Prince’s lips, Sunlay and Nili both looking on with wide-eyed dismay as he tilted his head Alex’s way.

  “I fear that the least of my former companions failed to give you challenge worthy of your stature. Perhaps you would be willing to trade pointers with me in his stead?”

  Alex could sense Rachel’s sudden surge of panic. “No, my husband does not—”

  Her words were cut off with a little gasp of dismay when Alex held out his clenched fist, turning to glare her way, before softening it with a head shake and a sympathetic smile.

  He then turned back to Xien Su, stepped back, slammed fist against palm, and nodded his consent.

  Xien Su’s eyes twinkled with savage delight, a sharp contrast to the melodious laughter that would have done any yuling bard proud. “Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful! Same terms as before… Your Grace?”

  The last he said with a polite smile and dip of his head toward the Crown Prince. Who, being no fool, sensed that the man was giving him much-needed face… after radiating such a potent killing aura that there was no doubt at all that he could have bathed the entire stunned court in blood.

  The Crown prince nodded. “So long as both parties agree… you may fight for our pleasure!”

  Xien Su had the gall to wink Alex’s way. “Shall we?”

  Alex’s smile said all that needed saying. He sensed both the grave peril before him, and an opportunity like no other. The chance to truly hone himself in the crucible of Peril, without having to hold back. A chance to grow, or perish in conflict far more fulfilling than simply applying overwhelming force or the lightning fast blitzkrieg strikes of actual war.

  Unlike the first fight, Xien Su waited until the prince’s seneschal had rung the bronze gong he held.

  And unlike the first fight, Alex was pushed to his absolute limit.

  One instant Xien Su was smiling hungrily. And the next, it was all that Alex could do to survive the absolute barrage of furious strikes being sent his way.

  Snapping kicks that could shatter stone pillars. Spear hand strikes that tore into his desperately dodging flesh like a white-hot knife through butter. Sweeping blows that sliced through Alex’s skin like a saber, for all that only the fingertips made contact.

  Alex’s interface blared with warning messages as the ocean’s waters began to froth and boil

  Storm Wing FAILS to counter Steel Flame technique! You have suffered one medium wound! You save versus crippling blow!

  Draconic bloodlines mitigate crippling burns to one additional Lesser Wound!

  Enhanced Wind Qi Deflection FAILS to counter Steel Fan technique! You have have suffered one additional light wound!

  The pain jolted Alex into the moment, as the combination of blazing hot yet bitter sharp steel burned the last of what he now realized was arrogant overconfidence to the ether, where it belonged. He refused to feel chagrin or despair, realizing just how overconfidently stupid he had been, to assume that every opponent he faced would be the equal of those he had met until now, when the very nature of his foe had been his clue.

  Because Dongfang Hong didn’t have a mere handful of a desert caldera's worth of Silvers at his disposal, where just one Silver per generation per hundred thousand would normally be found, which, at most, might explain the handful Alex had faced before now.

  No. His enemy might or might not be possessed by the most malicious and bloodthirsty tactician it had ever been Alex’s displeasure to face, and had faced, over countless lifetimes… but one thing that was damn certain was that, before his exile, he had enjoyed access to not just a handful of modest caldera cities to draw his forces from, but every sacred city within every province that made up his entire kingdom. A kingdom that had once covered a surface area equal to the landmass of the planet of his birth. A kingdom with a population of well over a billion people, not even including the countless hundreds of millions in myriad woodland communities and trade towns that served to feed those impossibly vast sacred cities. And even if he had had access to only a tiny fraction of that before being formally exiled, that could still amount to a dozen Gold tier opponents, easy.

  Men and women perhaps bound so tightly to the Dongfang Hong, by dint of loyalty or the blackest of soul-bindings, that they would serve their master even here. And with powerful cultivators living as long as they did, it didn’t matter if Dongfang Hong might have been exiled here, centuries ago. He could still have access to a dozen Golds and perhaps hundreds of truly elite Silvers that would absolutely destroy the average Rank 1 Silver Strength cultivator that had just broken through.

  Just like the coldly smiling Xien Su who was even now shredding Alex’s defenses with an unorthodox combination of Fire and Steel and something else Alex couldn’t quite parse. A technique that cut right through the waves of Wind and Water Alex was focusing on mastering, before piercing his flesh with the ease of the deadliest jian.

  Alex leaped back with a ragged breath after their last exchanged, more grateful than he cared to admit that Potency Mastery was giving him a steady supply of spiritual energy to rapidly accelerate his base regeneration level without having to dip into his extremely precious beast cores.

  Xein Su gave a low baritone chuckle, nodding his head in approval. “Wonderful. Wonderful! To feel the ocean’s waves battering against my form, to cut through it so cleanly, so precisely! To show the flaw in Water and Wind as Fire turns your techniques to impotent steam and Steel tears through sweet, fragile flesh!” He flashed a wild grin. “How invigorating it is to find a worthy opponent at last.”

  Alex grimaced, his mind a whirlwind of surprise and alarm. Never before had anyone pierced his defenses so well. Clearly, he wasn’t the only one who had found a way to use supposedly incompatible techniques… and this man was clearly a master of his art. Yet before Alex could even think of what would possess him to reveal aloud so many secrets best kept close to his vest, he realized that the man had been speaking in the highblood imperial dialect of YanTu nation. Not the local desert tongue at all.

  Yet before he could even worry about the implications, Xien Su had sprung forward once more, and it was all Alex could do to juke and weave past the whirlwind of killing blows.

  Steel Flame has struck you to the quick! Prismatic ribs AVERT lethal strike!

  You have taken one additional Medium Wound.

  You attempt to save versus existential dread!

  Time seemed to stretch and warp as the excited murmurs of the courtiers grew tinny and faint. In that moment, there was only Alex and the coldly smiling killer whose spear-hand strike had come so close to piercing his heart.

  “So close, no? No worries. We still have time. Don’t we, pawn?”

  Alex pretended he couldn’t understand every word the man was saying, realizing that THIS was the fight that could finally do him in, as he faced a man that was both as strong as him and Quicker, with mastery over arts designed to pierce the elements he was working so hard to master. Arts that had pierced his own flesh multiple times, his enhanced Water mastery over his own blood the only thing preventing him from spurting his crimson life blood upon the tiles as he desperately strove to repair old damage as new wounds piled up.

  Then he laughed, realizing that his dread was actually exhilaration. It was the very pressure of existence demanding that he commit himself utterly and completely to this moment and the opponent before him. To grow attuned to the shifts in balance and stance that presaged his moves, and slowly, bit by bit, the flow of Qi as well. But more than anything else, he strove to understand the martial art behind the cultivation techniques. Studying his foe far more intently than Mongoose, such that when Xien Su next lashed out with Steel Flame, Alex was already weaving aside, giving him the split second he needed to shift the flow of Water Qi before his foe could tear through his flesh.

  And that tiny moment’s head start made all the difference in the world when Xien Su’s spear hand strike was shifted a few crucial inches off course, inflicting a bloody furrow against Alex’s desperately dodging flank… and failing to slip under the ribs entirely.

  Storm Wing SUCCESSFULLY Mitigates Killing Blow!

  Storm Wing is now Rank 3!

  You begin to sense the flow of ancient currents once more.

  No one else understood the significance of what happened, perhaps, yet Xien Lu’s suddenly stormy expression spoke volumes.

  Alex took a deep Qi-filled breath, shivering with exhilaration he could scarce put into words. He knew he faced mortal peril, yet he couldn’t help but see Elder Panheu in the man’s stance and movements.

  “You would dare smile at me, coolly, after bleeding repeatedly for my pleasure?” Xien Su’s glower turned to a cold chuckle. “Good. Good! Continue to entertain me! Continue to serve as the whetstone to my final ascension!”

  The chamber shook as the man roared and charged forward, and Alex was already flowing back, winding parries now just a split-second faster, a tad bit more fluid than they had been before.

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  And Xien Su was still drawing blood, as the crimson splashes washing over them both did attest. Yet this was already acknowledged and compensated for. It was already a part of the dance they both chose to embrace. Xien Su ever advancing forward, Alex ever step-sliding away. And each exchange had the former looking ever more frustrated, as killing thrusts skewed ever more from their ultimate target, Xien Su’s faster hands making no difference, it seemed, when a warding arm was already pulling the currents away from his foe.

  Counters which no longer struck head on, allowing Xien Su to pierce right through, but rather pull away, forcing the man’s deadliest attacks off kilter as the current pulled them off course. Ever more off course to the point it seemed that space itself was bending with the flow of Alex’s parries.

  Xien Su paled, earlier sneer turning to an outraged snarl. “No. There’s only one abomination that ever dared this art, and that fool is dead! Dead by my master’s hand!”

  Yet Alex paid no heed to those words, understanding them for the distraction they were as violent steel tore from low to high, a snapping kick that would have ruptured organs, before being checked by Alex’s shin.

  Alex grimaced. The snap kick had been fueled by strength and technique alone. A faint before the Steel Fan ridge hand strike designed to tear right through Alex’s throat.

  Yet it was his opponent that paled when he attempted to crack prismatic bone only to find his own fibula paying the price as bone was strained to the breaking point when the man lurched forward with a snarl, only to find his arm slicing through a misty spray of wild currents and wind.

  And as so often happens when a foolhardy captain over-commits, the sea dips to reveal devastating shoals… eager to shred unprepared keels before fierce waves smash all that remains to shattered timbers.

  Your opponent fails to save contest of durability!

  Storm Wing successfully pulls your foe’s strikes off target.

  AVALANCHE!

  Your foe has been sent flying!

  Sien Su’s look of surprise was almost comical as Alex’s fist crashed against his temple with enough force to send the man cartwheeling through the air.

  But Alex was no fool. at that point he was riding currents just as fierce as the one sending his opponent cartwheeling, now racing upward to meet his surprised foe who somehow had kept his wits about him and his skull intact, sufficient that even while spinning through the air, his hand was jutting out with a fiery killing intent once more, ready to pierce the cultivator who dared ascend the air itself to meet him.

  Only for his off-balance thrust to be countered with a sweeping parry, skin barely singed before Alex’s own ridge hand strike hammered right into his opponent’s throat.

  Find Weakness Skillcheck: Critical Success!

  Piercing Strike successfully ruptures all Qi Wards and Physical Barriers!

  You have critically struck your opponent!

  You have become one with the storm!

  Storm Swan Kung Fu is now Rank 5!

  Avalanche is now Rank 3!

  Sien Su’s arrogant mien had been replaced by horror, Alex’s blow slicing through multiple defenses as if they were no more than gossamer strands before hammering into the man’s vulnerable neck with such fearsome focus that Alex could feel bone cracking and major arteries deforming as multiple pressure points were struck and crushed.

  Yet before the man had even finished crashing to the ground, Lord Guo was screaming, eyes wide with naked fear.

  “Quarter! Xien Su Yields! Xien Su Yields! The fight is over!”

  And before Alex could do more than settle his feet back down to the ground and pretend he hadn’t been cloud-stepping in plain view of the entire awed court, the bronze gong was rung and Lord Guo himself was racing toward Xien Su who was gulping in wide eyed desperation for air that just wouldn’t come before the ambassador pulled out a glowing crimson vial and placed three drops on the dying man’s tongue, rubbing additional drops upon Xien Su’s throat.

  The critically injured warrior began spasming so hard that Lord Guo was knocked back, crashing into a table full of guests, splattering food and drinks everywhere. Alex's eyes then snapped back to Xien Su as the wounded man took a wheezing breath before curdling in a ball, gasping for air.

  Alex felt a curious mix of dispassion, and a queasy sense of discomfort as he mentally replayed the fight, wondering just how hard he had struck his opponent with Avalanche, how many defenses were already ruptured, how badly the neck was already strained from the blow a split second before he had raced upward to deliver the coup de grace. One thing was for sure. As much as Lord Guo was looking at him like he were an abomination, the three other Silver tier warriors playing at being diplomats were peering at Alex with newfound respect. And Xien Su, wheezing for breath, stumbling to his feet despite a Water-aligned healer begging for him to sit down so he might be attended to, was gazing at Alex with what could only be wonder.

  Then he actually gave a wheezing laugh.

  “Well done, wanderer. Well done!” The man declared, before tossing a purse Alex’s way.

  Bemused, Alex caught it. Ignoring Nili’s furious flurry of handsign suggesting it could be a trap. Alex found that it was anything but. A quick glance revealed an absolute fortune in gold, platinum, beast cores and Spirit Pearls of all things. Alex blinked, not quite sure what to make of such a gesture from a man he had fully intended on killing. A man he was now forced to see as something other than a complete monster when Xien Su winced and chuckled, struggling to bow.

  “A most worthy battle, honored Gong. And the stakes… truly invigorating! A purse is a small price to pay for illumination, and I’ve learned much from our brief spar. I suspect you have as well.”

  He gave Alex a measuring look, both of them ignoring the fierce whispers, rebukes, and pleas from those around them. At that moment, there was only the pair of them.

  “I tasted it, you know. A glimpse of what could be. And thanks to you, I sense my flaws. Unforgivable weaknesses I must correct if I am to hone myself further. If I am to ascend.” He gave Alex a curious look. “You sensed it as well, did you not?”

  Alex didn’t bother denying it, or insulting them both by pretending he didn’t understand what Xien Su meant. Instead he gave the man a solemn nod.

  Xien Su flashed a pleased, broken-toothed smile, though Alex had no doubt he’d have a perfect set of chompers soon enough. “Good. Good! I sensed you also growing along your path. A path we ascend together, even in pristine opposition, for only in courting death like the most intimate of lovers can we continue to grow. You know this, yes?” And the warmhearted chuckle he gave when Alex denied nothing, flashing a cold smile of his own, silenced the entire chamber of murmurs, all of them now gazing at the pair of them like they were monsters, or legends.

  “Good. Good!” He smirked toward the anxious-looking healer. “I go now to… rest. Rest and meditate upon our encounter. Perhaps we shall be able to trade pointers again at a later date?”

  Alex shrugged, committing to nothing. Yet even this was enough for a satisfied nod as the man allowed himself to be led away in a concerned healer’s bustling wake, leaving a flustered Lord Guo looking utterly out of sorts. Even more than that, he looked… yes, Alex thought he saw a trace of fear mar the man’s perpetual arrogant mien. As for the three other Silver monsters who Alex now knew better than to underestimate, their eyes were filled not with hatred or killing intent or fear… so much as respect. Several sent cautious nods his way, which Alex coolly returned.

  Perhaps unsurprisingly, the court’s spirits seemed to lift, the musicians playing dizi and erhu with particular fervor as the Red Prince’s emissaries departed. Sunlay was positively beaming and even the prince looked pleased. It was only then that the honors and accolades were granted to those noteworthy individuals who had proven themselves either directly or indirectly serving their city. Alexwas given to understand that guards, mercenaries, and commoners who had acquitted themselves honorably were recognized several times a month, which did much to boost both morale and productivity both. All in all, Alex thought it a smart move, though he wasn’t sure how he felt about the prince singling him out to fete personally, and the look Sunlay was giving him would have made a less stoic Gong’s cheeks blush.

  Fortunately, Sunlay now knew who he was, if Nili’s earlier animated whispering and the princess’s look of surprise had been anything to go by. But the smile she gave him certainly wasn’t fit for any married man, which he supposedly was, and he didn’t want her to inadvertently lose face in court, so he merely bowed his head solemnly, accepted the kind words, and allowed a still highly animated Rachel to do the speaking for him, though he increasingly.wished he hadn’t been coaxed into playing the role of a mute.

  “I do hope you will both consider yourselves guests of the court,” Princess Sunlay had said at the last, earning a solemn kowtow from Alex and an excited squeal from Rachel until Alex gently lowered her to give face to the smiling prince as well.

  “We would love to, Your, Gra—” Rachel winced when Alex gently squeezed her hand. “That is… our goal is to challenge the rift and pluck what treasures we might. Perhaps even a Water stone, if fortune truly favors us.”

  Her words earned indulgent laughter from the princess, even if a few courtiers had glared at presumptuousness in speaking so boldly to a member of the ruling family.

  “Well then I.wish you both an excellent hunt! Perhaps fortune will continue to favor such heroes as yourselves. We shall make sure you both have access to the sect’s premier suites, and are paid top coin for any cores you retrieve, as we shall for any bold adventurer willing to dare the rift. And of course, should you actually manage to retrieve a core of Ice or Water, you shall be feted and honored with both property, stipend, and title worthy of any lord of our court.”

  Rachel froze, wide-eyed at those words, clearly stunned at the idea of actually becoming a wealthy noble with property and wealth to her name. She immediately dipped into a low curtsy even as Alex bowed solemnly and low.

  “We would be honored, Your Grace,” Rachel said in a voice soft with wonder before a smiling servant led them back to their table where they were promptly back-slapped and cheered by all the mercenaries who had forged themselves along peril’s path, lacking wealth and resources and often as not of commoner’s stock, who truly appreciated seeing one of their own get the best of arrogant, powerful cultivators who had gotten to play elite young master all their lives without a lick of hardship. Or so the wandering cultivators like Gongniu claimed with good-natured chuckles as they toasted in Alex’s honor.

  “Well fought, Gong” The larger cultivator commended. “You gave us face and showed those bastards what it means to cross soldiers who actually fight for a living!” His voice then dropped in a confidential whisper. “But you’re just a half-step Silver, then I’ve yet to take my first step as a Bronze!” He chuckled good-naturedly, clapping Alex’s shoulder. “Not that I’m gonna pry into the secrets of the man who probably saved my sorry rear, but still. To move with such speed, such grace, and actually be able to channel your elements into your blows, like the most elite of cultivators!”

  The seven-foot-tall Strength cultivator gave an awed shake of his head. “Body cultivators who can do that are just a half-step away from being wujen themselves! And you’re as fast as any sword saint I’ve ever seen! And when you hit that poor fool who would have happily run me through a dozen times before I could even cry yield…” Gongniu’s gaze grew haunted, before he shook his head with a rueful chuckle. “Well, call me humbled! When I sensed the caldera’s weight roaring through your fist, it was like I was in the middle of a thundering storm like you might see once a decade in these parts! I swear I felt a shiver of illumination just watching you. We all did.”

  The entire table full of mercenaries nodded solemnly at that.

  “You’d better believe we’ll be meditating on that fight just as soon as this wondrous feast is over… and as you can see, some of us are doing just that, right now.”

  Alex grinned, noting three men sitting still, glassy-eyed for all that their backs were ramrod straight, their minds clearly lost in deep contemplation, and Alex had no doubt that were they not at court, they would be embracing closed-door cultivation at that very moment.

  The Ruidian couple merely lifted their goblets in toast. “No inspiration for us, but it was a damned good fight!” The man said.

  “Not that we could follow it save after the fact, so quickly did you move and strike. But considering the clear disdain they have for our people… it was nice to see them put in their place,” the wife quietly agreed with a nod to Rachel Lu. “You have a strong, powerful mate. Your clan chose well, allowing you to marry him. May you both have healthy and strong children that will bring honor and safety to your clan.”

  Rachel positively beamed at that, clasping Alex’s arm and leaning her head against him. “That is my dearest wish, Lisette.” She flashed a teasing smile. “Now if only we could claim a Water core and earn actual noble titles. That would certainly be an adventure worthy of the story books!”

  The pair of Ruidians seated beside them drank to that, eyes twinkling with pleasure. “Indeed it would. Axel and I would also love such a prize.” She tilted her head thoughtfully. “I don’t suppose you’d like to delve together? The sect here offers both generous bounties and comfortable accommodations for our kind. They’re also quite skilled at organizing parties and considering the… state of affairs here, they’re now more accommodating than ever before. Even Silver Wujen will happily party with us for equal shares, and are as courteous to us as we’ve always been taught to be to them.

  Axel nodded. “As much as it saddens me to sense the city’s peril…”

  “It’s nice to be so clearly valued, without a single disparaging comment from even the most haughty blue-blood cultivator.”

  Axel squeezed his wife’s hand. “For all that we feel an affinity for the city, during previous years… let’s just say the sect had had it’s share of spoiled young masters who resented the privileges promised to our people. And their comments were… cutting.”

  “But that’s now all in the past,” his wife assured. “And the common citizens and shopkeepers have never been anything but polite, gracious, lovely people who appreciate hardworking customers with coin to spend.”

  Rachel’s eyes positively lit up. “Oh yes, shopping! I would love to explore the market here. It will be my first time!”

  “Well then you absolutely must let me share with you the best stores and stalls. I know, we should plan a trip together! Do you know mapsign?”

  Lisette and Rachel shared a glance at their men and immediately huddled together, whispering counsel.

  “No doubt their planning on how best to spend all our coin, friend Gong,” the man said with a fond smile for his wife.

  Alex shrugged and smiled, taking a sip from his goblet before looking up and catching Nili’s gaze. The slightest of nods and he understood.

  He faked a pained grimace, gazing at his still bloody forearm with a rueful chuckle.

  A gentle nudge with his foot and Rachel began to tut and fuss over the injury. “Darling, you put on a brave front, but now it’s time to rest and recover. Come, let’s see if our hosts will give us the aid of a healer?”

  “You do that,” Gongnieu said, with a gentle clap on Alex’s shoulder. His eyes were filled with brotherly warmth. “You did me a good turn, and I won’t soon forget it. If you ever need a kung fu brother by your side, the Silver Oxen have your back!”

  Alex blinked, having so many questions with that one statement, but settled for bowing his head and smiling in thanks for his offer. Then, seconds later, a concerned-looking healer who looked far too young for the role in Alex’s opinion before instantly sensing why, made an appearance from a discrete side corridor.

  “Come, brave warrior. Allow us to tend to your wounds. It is the least we can do after your valiant battle.”

  Alex’s face froze in a grimace, instantly recognizing Lini’s twinkling eyes and mischievous smile. But she didn’t break character and neither did he, giving his companions a final grunt and wave farewell with his uninjured right hand, still gripping his chalice which he slugged back and put down before following the supposed young healer, Rachel Lu hopping to his side and grabbing his uninjured hand once more.

  “Well done, hero,” Nili whispered with a cheshire grin, once they slipped into a side passage off the grandly appointed hallway, the thick shadows effortlessly hiding the transition from stoic, plain-faced cultivator to blond haired blue-eyed youth once more.

  She gave a satisfied smile, eyes twinkling with mirth. “You put on quite a show, Alex. Those fools have absolutely no idea what to make of our friend Gong. And best of all, any spy or agent who comes along to research you or, well, remove you, will find nothing but dead ends. Mother will spread the word. As far as the city’s concerned, you and your beautiful wife snuck out this very night, slipping right past any supposed ‘bandits.’ And we’ll be floating additional rumors that you’re now the prince’s sworn guardian, which will hopefully make those assholes think twice before breaking their oaths and accepting harsh penalties to their cultivation, if they think they can take the prince out in one quick attack.”

  Alex’s eyes widened with concern. “Shit, how likely is that?”

  “Hopefully not likely at all. Most cultivators at the upper end of Silver take their cultivation very, very seriously and aren’t about to let some secular ruler jeopardize their paths to ascension. But considering how scarily focused and ruthless these people are…” She shrugged. “Mother said better safe than sorry. And that being said…”

  She turned to Rachel. “With your permission, we’ll change both your eyes and your hair. And here. A sun hat that will hide your jewel for so long as you wear it.”

  Rachel’s mouth opened, her formerly excited smile turning sad and forlorn. “So… we won’t be going delving together? Are you sure? That might be just what we need to um… ally suspicion. And help your cover.”

  Lini chuckled before Alex could say anything. “Oh it’s fine. Because now Alex will look like a Ruidian and you will look like a mortal when out in public. Nothing says you can’t delve as a group. We just want to avoid assassins putting two and two together.”

  Rachel paled. “That’s, um… actually a good point.”

  Lini nodded. “Now, if you’ll let me take you to the sect compound that serves as Wanshi’s cultivation academy, we’ll get you squared away.”

  “But what about Alex?”

  Lini grinned. “Of course he’s coming along. Where else would an exotic looking Ruidian go? Ooh, before I forget… here’s a hat. Not your odd tricorn, Alex. We want you to blend in! And if your hair is covered, you can blend right in.”

  “As a Ruidian,” he said.

  “Right.”

  “A six foot, two inch tall Ruidian man as solidly put together as a powerful Bronze?” Rachel said with a smirk. “Even with the straw hat, he’s going to stand out.”

  Lini sighed. “And that’s what I’m here for. It wouldn’t matter most of the time, no one would care. They’d just love you for coming here to delve for their fortunes and help our city, like all Ruidians do. But for today? Yeah. Just stand in my wake and we should all blend in.”

  She flushed at Alex’s pointed smile. “Don’t you dare say a word! It’s hard to blend in to a wall right by a guard! No matter what I do, I’m going to stand out there. But out in public? Blending in with everyday expectations is sort of my specialty.”

  “I wasn’t going to say anything,” Alex assured.

  “Sure you weren’t. Come on, let’s go.”

  Alex and Rachel nodded, though the latter’s eyes widened when Alex casually wiped off the blood he had deliberately left on his forearm, revealing smooth, flawless skin with no sign of injury, the shadows hiding him for a precious moment as he slid out of his elegant court-worthy attire and into comfortable slacks and a bone-button changshan shirt that no stain could set upon.

  “Incredible.”

  “Isn’t he talented?” Lini said jubilantly, happily claiming Alex’s other arm. “And Alex?”

  “Umm. Somehow I don’t think that me holding both your hands is going to blend in.”

  “Shut up and let me handle that, okay?”

  Alex smirked. “Sure.”

  “Anyway… thank you for saving my life.” Lini’s wry good-humored expression turned solemn. “The world needs more heroes like you.”

  Rachel nodded. “I agree completely,” she said, her face a perfect expression of courteous grace, yet the way she was squeezing Alex’s hand and staring at a calmly smiling Lini… made it clear that something was going on beneath the surface.

  Alex cleared his throat. “Come on. The sooner we get to the academy, the better.”