~~~

Patriarch Wong’s reaction to the news is predictable. Worry and fear with perhaps a little more fear than worry. The possibility of Liu Jin and Bei Hong being attacked had never once crossed Patriarch Wong’s mind. In fact, he had probably hoped the attacks would stop once Feng Zhi arrived, that the presence of the Eternal Flame Clan would be more than enough to calm things down.

The words spoken by Bei Hong in the Night Forest had not been wrong. The Bright Phantasm Sect has been content to rely on the Eternal Flame Clan for years.

Why change that now?

“We are clearly dealing with a pack of fools,” Patriarch Wong says after Liu Jin and Bei Hong finish their tale. “To think they dared attack Lord Feng Zhi’s companions! They will soon learn the price of their folly!”

It would have been easy to agree with Patriarch Wong.

There is not a single faction within the Night Forest Nation with the power to challenge the Eternal Flame Clan. Certainly, there are powerful Sects in other nations that could be trying to move into the area, but why would they bother? The Night Forest may be valuable, but it is far from priceless. There are places with better resources and even higher concentrations of Yin Qi.

Challenging the Eternal Flame Clan over something so insignificant would be foolish to the extreme.

That is why there is merit to Patriarch Wong’s words. Their foes must clearly be a pack of fools! Who else but fools would dare challenge the Eternal Flame Clan?

It would have been fine if Feng Zhi had smiled confidently and agreed with him.

He doesn’t do that.

“We will not take this lightly,” he says.

Instead of boasting about their foes’ inevitable demise, Feng Zhi spends two hours asking Patriarch Wong multiple questions about the Bright Phantasm Sect’s enemies, allies, as well as any noteworthy event that had happened within the past six months.

For someone so strongly fire-aligned, Feng Zhi is surprisingly methodical.

Only when Feng Zhi has gathered information to his satisfaction does he decide their next course of action. He takes Huang Shing and Bei Hong with him to the Night Forest the following day. They are to keep investigating the damaged areas, hoping to find more clues. At least, that is the official reason. Liu Jin is positive Feng Zhi wants to bait another attack.

As for Liu Jin and Lu Mei, well, he gives them a different task.

"This was a fine waste of a morning."

The two are walking down the streets of Night Phantasm City. A small procession of servants follows after them. It is already well into the afternoon, so the streets are full of people. There should be much talking and laughing and arguing. Wares being sold. People greeting each other and such. Hundreds of footsteps every second adding up to a noise that can only be produced by civilization.

There are no such things.

On both sides of the road, people kneel down and bow their heads, not daring to utter a sound as Liu Jin and Lu Mei pass by.

Even they understand the Eternal Flame Clan must be shown respect.

“I would not go that far.” Unlike Lu Mei, who does not even acknowledge the presence of the people around them, Liu Jin has to make a conscious effort to ignore them. “Visiting the Moon River Sect was an unavoidable step. We still do not know whether they are involved or not, but they are the most likely suspects right now.”

The Night Forest Nation does not have a king or an emperor. Rather, it is an alliance of the many Sects and Clans located within the Night Forest. Within that coalition, the Bright Phantasm Sect is actually one of the more influential factions. Few Sects have the power to challenge them.

The Moon River Sect is one of them.

It is also the only one of those Sects with a branch in Night Phantasm City, making it an obvious starting point for their investigation. Liu Jin and Lu Mei had shown up unannounced and uninvited to the Moon River Sect’s local branch. A normal person would have been thrown out, but since they are of the Eternal Flame Clan, the branch master had no choice but to welcome them and spend hours entertaining them.

It was all fairly boring.

“It wasn’t them,” Lu Mei says, surprising Liu Jin with the certainty in her voice.

“You sound certain.”

Liu Jin has no strong thoughts about the potential culpability of the Moon River Sect. However, that Lu Mei can dismiss them so easily is a bit of a surprise. As one of the strongest Sects in the country, the weakening of the Bright Phantasm Sect would be to their advantage.

“Did you not see how nervous that man was?” Lu Mei snorts in a decidedly unladylike way. “He was desperately trying to please us at every turn. How gutless. Patriarch Wong is not stellar, but even his performance was better. A man should be able to show respect while keeping his spine.”

“I’ll admit he was nervous, but the same can be said of everyone here.” Liu Jin gestures to the people kneeling on both sides of the road to make his point.

“They are common people,” Lu Mei points out as if she were explaining something obvious. “This level of respect is only to be expected. He was a branch master. If our presence was enough to cause that sort of reaction, he’d have never dared to strike us in the Night Forest.”

“He could have been feigning weakness in front of us.”

“Perhaps. However, if he is a good enough actor to fool both of us, then further meetings with him are pointless until we have more evidence.” Lu Mei stretches her arms over her head and arches her back. It has an interesting effect on her robes. Liu Jin quickly averts his eyes. “In the first place, the idea of looking into the known rivals of the Bright Phantasm Sect was misguided. Common wisdom may indicate the Moon River Sect is one of the most likely suspects, but common wisdom is for common people.”

The two are already talking in low tones, but Liu Jin leans in and lowers his voice further to ask his next question. “If not a known entity, then who?”

“Anyone. Everyone. Unclaimed children of powerful bloodlines appear every now and then. Stories of nobodies finding unique treasures and achieving fame are as common as dirt. We are assuming these people belong to an established faction, but they could have easily been mere beggars weeks ago.”

Liu Jin frowns. It is a possibility he doesn’t like thinking about, but unfortunately, not one he can dismiss. It would even make some sense. Someone completely new would have less reason to respect the status quo.

“Let us assume that is true,” Liu Jin says. “That does not necessarily make this a waste of time.”

In fact, Feng Zhi had probably already counted on something like that.

“Perhaps what Young Master Feng Zhi was really after was this.”

Lu Mei’s face goes from confused to thoughtful as Liu Jin gestures at the people bowing all around them.

“He wants the Eternal Flame Clan to be seen investigating the matter?”

Liu Jin nods. “Most likely. If we find something, that’s good. However, the mere act of us moving about and doing things will put some pressure on the culprits.”

“And that pressure will compel them to act.” Lu Mei hums, stepping closer to Liu Jin. “They may even choose to attack us now that we are divided.”

"Precisely."

"You do realize that makes us bait, right? "

"I am certain that occurred to Feng Zhi."

He had just decided not to tell them about it.

"In that case, don't you think we should do our best to make the Young Master's plans succeed?"

As Lu Mei's lips curl into a smile, Liu Jin feels a tinge of worry, worry that intensifies as she turns around and orders the servants to go back to the Bright Phantasm Sect's compound.

"What are you doing?"

“Making us a more tempting target, obviously.” Her arm wraps around his and pulls him closer. “Two people surrounded by servants in the middle of the city or a young couple that has sneaked away from their duties. Which do you think would make a better target?”

“I think I am impressed at how reasonable you can sound while making excuses to get your way.”

“Excuses? Perish the thought.” Lu Mei places her free hand over her heart. “I am nothing but a devoted servant of the Eternal Flame.”

~~~

“I didn’t realize there was a place like this so close by,” Liu Jin says, looking at the crystalline blue water of the lake. It is just outside the city, so the mists are not too dense. They are thin enough to avoid impeding visibility or creating illusions, but rather give things an enchanting atmosphere.

“Somehow, I am not surprised. One of the servants mentioned it in passing. It seemed a shame to let such a good spot go unused.”

“It is quite beautiful,” Liu Jin admits before his gaze dips to his side. Lu Mei is leaning against his shoulder, and the two are resting under the shade of a tree. It would be hard to mistake them as anything other than an unguarded couple. “However, I am not sure this is what Feng Zhi expected out of us.”

Lu Mei looks up at him. “On the contrary, this is exactly what he expected. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have sent the two of us together. This might even be him being considerate of you.”

“I am afraid I do not follow.”

As she stares at his furrowed brow, Lu Mei’s lips slowly curl into a smile. “You really have no idea, do you?”

“About what?”

Lu Mei’s lips twitch. She’s trying hard not to laugh. “There are many disciples who think you are courting me.”

Liu Jin blinks. Slowly.

“What?”

“Oh, this is precious!” Her hand reaches out to touch the side of his face, forcing him to look into her eyes. From a distance, they probably look quite loving. “I want you to think about the day we became Inner Disciples very carefully.”

“The day you made everyone think we were involved?”

“I did grant you that honor,” she says shamelessly. “Now, do you remember what you said during your first challenge?”

"I do." Friend is not the word I’d use. That was what he’d said right before fighting Pan Qiu. "What does that have to do with this?"

"Did it not occur to you that saying we are not just friends after I convinced everyone we were close might be interpreted in other ways."

What does she...oh. But after doing that he had...

Oh.

"Do you mean to say I...?"

“Imply we were more than friends in front of everyone as you fought to defend your claim on me?” Lu Mei finishes for him. “Yes. It was quite bold of you. Very manly.”

“So Feng Zhi chose the two of us…”

“Because he thinks we are involved,” Lu Mei says, giggling at Liu Jin’s reaction. “Oh, my poor, poor Qing Jin. You seem to be enjoying all the struggles of courting me while reaping none of the benefits.”

He glares at Lu Mei, but she just kisses the tip of his nose.

“This is your own fault, you know? If you didn’t hate people so much, you would have already realized it.”

“Hate people?” Liu Jin blinks owlishly. “I don’t hate people.”

“You absolutely do.”

“I care for people.”

“In an abstract way that compels you to act honorably, yes,” Lu Mei admits, waving a hand to show how little she thought of those words. “That is why you saved Huang Shing, someone you did not know back then, from Bei Hong and I. Even now, if I tried to abuse one of the servants in front of you, you’d stop me, wouldn’t you?”

“Of course, I would.”

“And yet, despite knowing I am the sort of person who would do exactly that, you don’t find me detestable in the slightest.”

Liu Jin snorts. “You assume I don’t. As I recall, you are the one who made it hard for our paths to part.”

Far from looking offended by his words, Lu Mei seems almost pleased.

“If you genuinely found me offensive, you’d have pushed me away a long time ago without caring about things like reputation or the opinions of others. Instead, well, look where we are right now.”

Lu Mei points at the distance between them, or rather, at the lack of it.

“It is fascinating, really.” She rests her chin on his shoulder. He lets her. “You care for people as an idea. You have a hard time standing them as individuals. That may even be your best quality, even if you could benefit from not avoiding others so much. As for the people you do like and spend time with, well,” Lu Mei shrugs. “That speaks for itself, doesn’t it?”

That’s… That’s not…

“However, arguments about your morality are not why I brought you here,” Lu Mei says, switching subjects without a care. She is suddenly sitting properly again. “I sent the servants away for more than one reason.”

Liu Jin glares at her. "And that is?"

"Spies."

It takes a moment for Liu Jin to realize what she is getting at. "You think the culprit is part of the Bright Phantasm Sect?"

"Why not? You and Bei Hong were targeted. Who else knew you were going to be there?"

It is likely everyone in the city knew of their arrival. However, the number of people who knew they would be in that specific area of the forest that day is far smaller.

"I will admit it is a possibility,” Liu Jin says, still annoyed that she had suddenly changed subjects on him. “However, why would someone from the Bright Phantasm Sect work to undermine it?"

It is true he doesn't know everything there is to know about the situation in the Night Forest Nation. However, it is a fact that the Bright Phantasm Sect enjoys the protection of the Eternal Flame Clan and is one of the major powers in the area because of it. That is something the other factions in the regions simply cannot offer. Betraying the Bright Phantasm Sect would be extremely shortsighted.

However, it wouldn’t be something Liu Jin hasn’t seen before.

Elder Hui did choose to betray the Xiao Sect.

“That is the interesting part.” Lu Mei leans closer to him again. “Things may look fine right now, but that was not the case a year ago. There was even talk of removing Patriarch Wong from his position.”

“Oh?” Liu Jin raises an eyebrow.

“I am certain Patriarch Wong never intended for us to find out, but you’d be surprised at what people let slip when trying to impress you. Apparently, many felt the Young Master was not fit to inherit the Sect. However, Patriarch Wong would not budge from his decision. Conflict arose between the Elders as a result. Some supported Patriarch Wong. Others felt his insistence on his progeny leading the Sect was proof of his inadequacy.”

“The conflict was over Wong Shou?” Liu Jin cannot keep the surprise out of his voice. They may have interacted only for a short time, but nothing about Wong Shou struck Liu jin as immediately objectionable. Being in the Spirit Realm, his level of cultivation is more than adequate for the area. His character had not shown any apparent defects. If anything, Wong Shou had presented himself as far more level-headed than most in his Sect during their interactions. “Truly?”

“That is what I was able to glean.”

Liu Jin hums in deep thought, his mind going over the possibilities. “And who was at the head of the faction opposing Patriarch Wong?”

“Elder Wong Yuan. Patriarch Wong’s cousin and Wong Shou’s uncle.” Lu Mei looks up at him and smiles. “Would you like to meet him?”

“I very much would.”

~~~