The other Golds gazed at Alex’s disciples, still flush with the glow of both youth and fearsomely rapid ascension, eyes going wide as they sensed a bit more in the quiet gloom than they had under the bright lantern lights and wujen glow-stones during the dance.

“Strongest Silver I’ve ever seen,” conceded one with a nod.

A shorter man, clearly a wujen when compared to the other body cultivators, peered intently at Yinzi. “Yet I have no clear sense of their cultivation path at all. How strange.”

Yinzi flashed a smile that was positively wicked. “You’re welcome to try to figure it out all you like… when we’re sparring in the ring.”

One of the remaining Golds blanched at that, no doubt having inferred much from the couple that had just made themselves scarce. Yet the other cultivators all grinned and nodded at the invitation.

“I, Chu Zhao, would be honored for a chance to try my metal against your own arts. And you may judge yourself whether or not I’d be a worthy partner on your cultivation journey.”

“Go for it!” Yinzi beamed, Chu Zhao’s eyes widening with impossible hope, before she spoke on. “I could always use another kung fu brother. So let’s see if you’re worthy of that honor.”

The Gold forced a smile. “It would be my honor, disciple and daughter of the revered Panheu.” He then dipped his head in solemn concert with the others. “Make no mistake, we will fight you with fierce, killing intent. But none of us are stupid. We all know that we owe your clan a significant debt for your timely intervention tonight. It is my hope you will call upon me in the future so I may repay that debt, and perhaps earn your interest as well.”

Hao Chan and Yinzi matched smiles with the hopeful Golds.

“To future matches that leave us all shivering with excitement and insight!” Hao Chan declared in a voice husky, as she caught Alex’s gaze from afar.

The nearest Gold swallowed. “Until tomorrow,” he said, before exchanging nods with the others, all of them heading at a fast clip for what Alex knew was the red district, and he didn’t blame them a bit. A quartet of Golds would be a source of legends in the late-night tales of parties and wild excess circulating the city, Alex was sure, and no matter how carried away that got, no matter how devious Dongfang Hong’s plans might be, or wide his reach, only an absolute fool would try to take on four Golds determined to watch each other’s backs. Alex sensed that all with odd certainty, no matter that not a word had been said aloud.

Panheu chuckled softly. “And we too should retreat, my family and proteges. Odd as it may sound, following in the wake of those Gold Titans might be the most prudent move we can make tonight.”

“Agreed,” Jidihu said. “It might please you to know that we now have a majority interest in a number of late night enterprises, and that includes ownership and access to all sorts of interesting facilities.”

“Ooh, dens of vice and iniquity that your daughter and disciples would be absolute fools to partake of. How exciting tonight will be!” Yinzi gushed with a cheeky smile.

Hao Chan flashed a pained smile, but didn’t hesitate to follow at a demure pace as Alex

Bullrush! You have effortlessly crossed a tributary of the River of Souls!

Appeared from the shadows to claim her hand with a gasp and a wink, as she blushed and chuckled softly. “Has my hero come to rescue me from foul dens of iniquity?”

Alex smirked. “If by rescue you mean ravish you to an inch of your life as soon as we hit Gold? You’re damn right.”

“Even if it takes us decades to hone our arts and stabilize our madly spinning cores before we dare sip once more from the nectar of spiteful gods?”

Alex grinned. “Even if it takes us a dozen years. You’re worth the wait. Besides, with all the intrigue, plots, and bubbling hate I sensed from Dongfang Hong and his chosen cronies? I wouldn’t be surprised if we hone ourselves to a fine killing edge after just a few more bouts. As far as your core goes, it’s impossibly stable. It's just spinning so fast that space itself would be warping around it, if relativistic physics was a thing here.”

Hao Chan’s gaze turned curious. “Is it?”

Alex shrugged. “Not a clue. But visualizing cultivation within that paradigm has allowed for some pretty awesome abilities and breakthroughs, wouldn’t you say?”

Hao Chan nodded in agreement as they lost themselves in the growing crowds, now that the palace and the most elite sector of the city was behind them, replaced by the highest class taverns, brothels, and gambling dens, where the wealthy went to let off steam and enjoy the night. Rich enough to afford top tier dining and make their hostesses exceptionally happy, and far enough from the watchful eyes of the palace to cut lose.

And with all of them damping down on the lethal intensity of their souls, combined with Jidihu’s elegant touch, they soon blended in perfectly with the crowd. And if one or two half-drunk patrons of one establishment or another thought Alex’s disciples fitting company for the night, they were very quickly disabused of that motion with an absolute minimum of broken bones, people rapidly coming to understand that the girls were to be treated with the utmost courtesy and respect.

Even if Yinzi’s increasingly excited smile and quips about enjoying living life to the fullest soon became a frustrated pout when she realized there’d be no decadent fun for her at all as they made their entrance into a gambling den currently holding a pair of their Gold acquaintances each with a half dozen courtesans already vying for their attention and a croupier who instantly understood from Jidihu’s nod from afar that their guests should do no worse than break even.

Alex and his disciples quickly found themselves whisked along a side passage where the crowd’s excitement grew muffled, then hidden completely when Jidihu led them to a secure underground suite, pointed to separate cots and the emergency back entrance, and made it abundantly clear everyone was to be on their best behavior.

“Mother!”

“No, Yinzi. No gambling, no drinking, and no flirting with the destruction of your own foundation, no matter how adorable our Alex looks after showing the world his killing intent tonight. Sleep. If you can’t sleep, cultivate. Tomorrow is the third day of the trials, and if you and Hao Chan are wise, you will use it to hone yourselves against Golds who are there to push you, even break you, but not kill you, so eager we all are for the jade prizes at hand. But the opportunity to push ourselves to the utmost, to hone ourselves against peril for an extended period of time without being at risk of immediate death is a prize worth at least as much as the trinkets that Dongfang Hong dares to offer, so eager to cement alliances and distract his attempted annexation of this province. Are we clear?”

Yinzi’s ears wilted. “Yes, Mother.”

“Good. Get some sleep, love.”

Alex and Hao Chan shared bemused looks… before Alex found himself being dragged out of her arms by Jidihu and plopped next to Panheu while she took the fluffy bed Alex would have so enjoyed honing himself to perfection against the temptation of two sleepy half-naked girls who’s warm flesh had been just inches away from his own.

“Lady Jidihu...”

“Go to sleep, Alex. You’ve got a big day tomorrow.”

“Of course, Lady Jidihu.”

She smirked, before her gaze grew solemn. Alex winced, already knowing the question about to be asked when he felt himself wrapped in shadows so tight that even Yinzi and Hao Chan seemed to be miles away. “Alex?”

“It’s done.”

Jidihu blinked. “All of them?”

He dipped his head, heart racing. 500 Silver tier souls. A lifetime’s worth of growth and potential among nearly half a dozen cities’ greatest assets… all washed away. His fists clenched. Knowing he had done what he needed to. For the sake of Baidushi, and for his own sake as well.

Jidihu gazed at him silently for long moments, fingers raising to gently stroke his cheek. “I won’t even ask how. And best you say not a whisper more than you already have. Just know that you shattered our enemies’ foundation, and in all likelihood, saved the city.”

Alex swallowed and bowed his head.

He was surprised to feel her slender hand gently squeezing his shoulder. “Sometimes the mantle we bear is a heavy one. What matters isn’t the stain upon our hands, or our souls… what matters are the countless innocents who will never know just how close they came to the most horrific of endings if everyone’s a coward who shirks the weight of the most bitter responsibilities. Responsibilities it seems that you alone dare to shoulder in this city.”

Alex took a deep, shuddering breath. “I keep telling myself that. But a part of me wonders, if I hadn’t encountered a captain trying to compel me with Spirit Qi, if maybe I could have found another way.”

Jidihu blanched at those words. “A Mindlord of all things... that even the Red Prince would dare such... Alex, are you certain?”

He flashed a bitter smile. “I was on my knees… blood pouring out of my eyes and nose. And the look that smirking bastard was giving me… yeah, I’m pretty damn certain.”

Jidihu grimaced, rubbing her temple. “Then the danger was even worse than we had thought, and the bastard prince’s crimes even greater.” Her eyes flashed. “So don’t you dare feel a moment’s regret. Because if you hadn’t done exactly what needed doing, we’d all be dead, and the city’s peril would be far greater than it is right now.” Warm brown eyes peered intently into his own. “Take that to heart, Alex, and get some sleep. My husband and I need to do some planning, and you need to be ready for tomorrow.”

Alex’s eyes widened. “Wait, you mean...”

She flashed a mirthless smile. “Damn right you need to be fighting. Because only a fool would be so naive as to stick around after doing what you did. Which means that a certain prince will have a thousand eyes and spies looking in all directions, eager to hunt down the bird that dares to flee the coup.”

Alex smirked. “So a naive fool like me who eagerly fights for prizes we both know that bastard will do everything he can to prevent me from winning will be the least suspicious fool of all.” He gave a mirthless chuckle before his eyes widened in alarm. “But wait! That Gold tier couple who was looking at us so strangely after we rescued them from the bridge. If they dare try to leave in the morning...”

Jidihu sighed and dipped her head in agreement. “I’ll see if I can head off tragedy. As much as I hate to see anyone forced into peril, they’re better off taking their chances in the ring than with the Red Prince putting out thousand spirit pearl bounties on their heads.”

Alex groaned. “Fuck. No matter what we do, we have to continue fighting in matches overseen by an asshole who tried to have us all killed, if we don’t want to prick his suspicion and ire and have him devote an entire nation’s resources to our expiration. I bet Shalu is just laughing his ass off, right now.”

Jidihu snorted. “Ironic, isn’t it. And Alex?”

“Yes?”

“Thanks for saving the lives of this foolish kitsune and her family.”

Alex’s cheeks flushed. “Always.” He gave a tired sigh and flopped back into his bed, still cloaked in Jidihu’s darkness. “Now if I can actually get to sleep after all that, and be rested enough for Gold tier matches tomorrow, that would be a miracle.”

Jidihu chuckled softly, giving a motherly tussle of his hair Alex couldn’t see because his eyes were already closed as he sunk into the soft pillow. “Good night, hero,” she whispered, right before darkness overcame him and he became one with the soaring clouds he flew through in his dreams, a laughing Hao Chan and Yinzi flying towards the glorious sunset by his side.