“What is there to look into?” said Tems, sipping expensive wine from a sapphire-studded chalice. “Their tracking talismans were destroyed right after Jameson’s was. Even if they did kill Drasin, Jameson obviously chased them to their deaths, and the fool probably lost his life because of it.”

“I know you don’t like hearing this, but hundreds of people claim to have seen May Asten in the company of this specific group. We can’t simply rule out the possibility that she’s responsible for Jameson’s death.”

“Why would she throw everything away just to follow around some kids playing martial sect?”

“That’s a good question,” said Tegan, his voice wise with age. “Perhaps the same reason that your…friend happened to stop by.”

They were at the top of Tems’s favourite palace, sitting cross-legged around a short, round table that he had brought to his favourite room. Even though they were currently at the very centre of the city of Wilton, the sect’s capital, there was zero chance of any interruptions arriving at their doorstep.

Little White sat on his left, her silver eyes darting between her drink and the open doorway with obvious impatience. Tems was slightly irritated as well, but for other reasons. Why did the old man have to keep making things more complicated than they had to be?

“I highly doubt it. Right, Little White?”

“Hmm? You know her better than I do.”

“Whatever her reasons, it’s obvious that she has betrayed the sect.” Tegan stood up with a foreboding glint in his eyes that made Tems want to scoff. “We need to be certain that her branch still stands with us, so I’m going to go pay the Peach Blossom Peak a little visit.”

“Enough! There’s no point in wasting so much time and resources. You’ve got half the sect combing over this island in search of a bunch of kids that died in the tower, and now you want to cause trouble for those wonderful young ladies?”

The Peach Blossom Peak was Tems’s favourite place in the world, so the last thing he needed was Tegan going over there to threaten his perfect lifestyle. Besides, with Little White’s target lost to the tower, Tems had technically delivered on his end of the bargain that they had stricken up.

“What if they just broke their talismans?” asked Little White, who shot him a mocking smile as Tegan latched onto her words.

“Exactly! They might still be hiding out on the upper floors, using up our precious resources while our forces roam the countryside none the wiser."

“Then why commit so much manpower to carrying out the search? Either way, it’s simply a waste of time.” There were currently fifteen hundred disciples and thirty elders camped outside of the Desolate Spirit Tower, and the only way out was through the front doors. Even if May was with them, how could she hope to break through a wall that even Soul-Strengthening experts couldn’t cause any damage to? In order to leave, she would have to face the massive formation that the elites of their sect had set in anticipation of her eventual attempt at flight.

“This is no small matter, Tems! One of our most promising disciples has just been killed, along with one of our strongest members. It’s also very likely that one of our great elders has defected and is heavily involved in whatever it is that’s going on.”

Tegan smashed through the room’s only door, something that left Tems truly astonished. This was the man that had carried out his every order and followed his every whim ever since he was a child. The most he’d ever done was raise his voice, so for him to openly display such displeasure meant that he was truly at the limit of his patience.

Maybe I’m being too irresponsible?

Seeing that the old man was about to leave, he remembered his deal with Little White and immediately forgot about Tegan.

“So, now that I’ve trapped that boy within the tower, I believe you and I—”

Just as he was rubbing his hands together in a gleeful fashion, Tegan strode back into the room and slammed two rectangular talismans onto the table. Wood splintered into countless pieces as Tems sighed and picked up a talisman, which he immediately recognized. It seemed that Tegan wouldn’t shut his withered mouth until they personally went inside of the tower to take a look.

“Fine, we can go and see. But once we find their remains, you’ve got to drop this whole ordeal and leave me in peace for the next few days. And you”—he wheeled on Little White—“will have to fulfill your end of our little deal. Am I making myself clear to you both?”

Tegan simply flew out into the sky without a word, while Little White snickered.

“So clear I can see right through you.”

“Look long and hard, for I intend to do the same.”

Tems left his residence and followed after Tegan, all the while daydreaming about tonight’s happy ending. As for Little White, her eyes never left the direction where the tower was situated. Once she set her eyes on something that she wanted, the hardheaded woman never looked away. She had been like this ever since they were kids, an unlikely pair of friends that had met outside of one of the countless towns that lined the lake that surrounded the island. She had been an orphan that was hated by the locals for all of the mischievous deeds that she committed, and he the spoiled son of the Falling Rain Sect’s sect master. As the only person that didn’t expect an entire list of unreasonable dedications from him, he had made it a point to sneak off of the island at every possible chance in order to seek her out and join in on her childish escapades, something that also hadn’t changed, apparently.

You might be painfully uncouth, but you’re the only one that I…

Tems gave his head a shake and pretended to pick something out of his eye when he noticed that the abrupt movement had drawn Little White’s attention. As they soared through the sky at one another’s side, he hoped beyond hope that the boy she was pursuing had died within the tower, and that at long last they could finally spend a night together. Even if she left unannounced afterward—which he could see her doing—just that much would be enough for him to set the irritating feeling of forlornness aside. She might not have given it much thought, but the latter half of his childhood had been quite lonely after she had up and left to the kingdom of Ridgerock, following promises of a good life and a happy home from some old cultivator.

Thinking of the one that Little White was after, Tems decided that if the boy wasn’t actually dead, then he would personally see to his death.

***

Tems thought back to the discussion he’d had with Tegan at the top of his palace, suddenly self-conscious of his own ineptitude. As it turned out, May had actually betrayed the sect, and regardless of what she said it was obvious that she had played a significant role in Elder Jameson’s death. Not only that, but the boy that had caught Little White’s attention was unreasonably capable despite his young age and low cultivation. It turned out that she wasn’t lying when she’d made the claim about his disproportionate strength, though she hadn’t mentioned anything about his being in the possession of such dangerous weapons.

Why did it have to come to this? He had just arrived at Tegan’s side, the old man wearing an uncharacteristic grimace as he struggled to his feet under the assistance of Tem’s outstretched arm. Both of them looked up at the massive smoke cloud brought on by the boy’s mysterious barrels, neither having expected such a tremendous explosion from the aura-less containers that had been cast toward Tegan in the midst of his pursuit.

“That must be what she wants,” coughed the great elder, who slipped a medicinal pellet into his mouth and quickly formed a hand sign. “I’ve trapped her in place, but my barrier will only hold for a few moments!”

Understanding the insinuation, Tems locked onto May’s position and leapt high up into the sky. If he really allowed these people to escape then the other sects might begin to sharpen their daggers, for there wasn’t a single power on the continent that wasn’t interested in obtaining the Desolate Spirit Tower for themselves.

Little White was ignoring May and observing the group of unfortunate youths from just a few metres above their frightened congregation, completely undetected by those that she beheld. Leave it to her to follow her own selfish desires and leave all of the heavy lifting to him.