~~~

“We have not been here for three full days, and already someone has tried to assassinate you. This place agrees with you,” Lu Mei says while relaxing on his couch.

Liu Jin stares at her.

He had expected her to be worried about what happened last night. Instead, she looks almost pleased by the attempt on his life. Proud, even.

“... I do not begin to comprehend how you can look at everything that happened and say this place agrees with me,” Liu Jin says.

“Men of great caliber are frequent targets of assassination attempts,” Lu Mei says, raising a single, dainty finger to underscore her point. “This simply means your quality has been recognized. If anything, it’s odd that people haven’t tried to assassinate you more often.”

Liu Jin grimaces as he recalls Yuan Yi’s attempt to assassinate him in the Dead Plains.

“I believe I don’t want to be recognized as a man of caliber.”

Lu Mei’s genteel laugh is perfectly melodic. “Impossible. A lion would have better luck pretending to be a house cat. Still, to think a man of your past joined Murong Bang’s army and now seeks to kill you.” Her smile grows. “How thoroughly amusing.”

Liu Jin is very much not amused, but he can see Lu Mei’s point. Out of all the people in Eastern Port City, Yun Han is the one who survived and joined Murong Bang’s army. What are the odds of that? Minuscule. Nearly non-existent.

Or perhaps…

Xun Huwen’s face flashes through his mind.

Or perhaps it was inevitable.

So long as he and Han kept rising in cultivation, their next meeting was assured. Their existences simply pulled at each other.

Like magnets.

If that is truly how things work, Liu Jin wishes his existence could have attracted someone else.

“I’d rather focus on what Murong Bang has planned for me in the arena,” he says. “For all we know, he has some sort of unwinnable challenge waiting for me there.”

“I doubt it,” Lu Mei says. When Liu Jin looks at her with curiosity, she explains, “He is clearly the sort who likes to play with others. He will not put you through a challenge you cannot overcome because that would deprive him of his fun. This works to your advantage. Situations with a narrow probability of success are your comfort zone.”

“You have entirely too much faith in me,” Liu Jin says, making Lu Mei scoff. “However, you have a point. Murong Bang seems to be deriving some amusement from this.”

Amusement. When one becomes old and powerful, one needs no reason other than amusement to do anything. His master told him that a long time ago.

“There is another factor to consider,” Lu Mei says, her face growing more serious. “Has he recognized you?”

The meaning of her question is obvious.

Does Murong Bang know his father was the Black Dragon?

“It would be pointless to send a message to Murong Bang telling him I have the Black Dragon’s son,” General Dan had explained to him before the mission. “Unaware of its contents, Murong could carelessly have the message read in front of several people. There’s no telling what that information could do if let loose. Worse still, Murong could believe it to be a lie and become enraged. No, it is better to send you without telling him who you are and rely on him recognizing you, which he will.”

“We are still alive, and Murong Bang is willing to consider our request instead of rejecting it,” Liu Jin says, thinking back to the way Murong Bang looked at him after he stood up to him in the arena.

It felt like the man was staring into his soul.

Liu Jin shivers.

“Yes, I believe we can safely say he recognizes me.”

“Good. That means he has some interest in keeping you alive, if only because he might feel you are his way of finding the Black Dragon,” Lu Mei says. She sighs. “A pity loyalty is not inheritable. This would be so much easier if the Three Heavenly Generals recognized you as their master.”

“I have no intention of ruling this country.”

“I know. I know,” Lu Mei says with an overly patient tone. “You just want to dictate its policy. Completely different things. I understand.”

Liu Jin’s eyebrow twitches.

“Even if General Dan and Murong Bang were to feel some inherited loyalty towards me, that’d still leave General He. If he is really working with those beyond the Dead Plains, I doubt him recognizing me would change anything.”

It is something Liu Jin thinks about a little more each day. The people of the Death Fashioning Scripture seem to have been meddling in the affairs of this side of the Dead Plains for many years. Could they have been at work in the Storm Dragon Empire during his father’s time?

“Let’s leave that subject for another time,” Lu Mei says, rising and holding her hand out to him. “The issue right now is whatever dastardly evil plan General Murong has planned for you, is it not? Escort me around the city then.”

Liu Jin blinks.

“I fail to see how one thought leads to the other.”

“We can hardly be expected to divine that man’s thoughts cooped up here, can we?”

“You just want to get us into trouble.”

“Possibly,” Lu Mei admits. Her lips curl into a smile, “but do you not wish to see the city Murong Bang has made with your own eyes?”

~~~

It does not take Lu Mei and Liu Jin long to find trouble. In fact, trouble is already waiting for them outside Murong Bang’s estate.

“Good day,” says the violet-eyed man Liu Jin saw at Murong Bang’s side last night, Bright Sword. “May I ask where you are going on this fine morning?”

There is not the slightest sense of threat coming from the man. It is not that he is weak-looking or anything of the sort. Rather, despite being in the Heaven Realm, his aura is like a calm forest. The air around Bright Sword is so peaceful it takes Liu Jin several seconds to notice the sword hanging at his side.

The moment he looks at it, the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, and Liu Jin feels an instinctive urge to back away.

“We thought we should take a look around the city,” Lu Mei says. “Surely, you will not say that is forbidden? After all, we are guests of General Murong.”

Bright Sword hums in thought.

“Guests and prisoners are little different in General Murong’s eyes, but you have a point.” Bright Sword nods. “So long as you do not attempt to escape the city, there should be no problem. That being the case. I should escort you for the day.”

“You believe we would try to escape?” Liu Jin asks. To his surprise, Bright Sword shakes his head.

“No, perish the thought,” Bright Sword says. “General Murong is convinced you will not, and he is a great judge of character.”

Liu Jin struggles to believe that.

“I know. I find it surprising as well,” Bright Sword says, as if reading his thoughts. “Regardless, I believe that letting you two go into the city on your own will almost assuredly start trouble.”

“You are escorting us to ensure our protection? How gallant of you,” Lu Mei says.

“Not at all,” Bright Sword says. “I believe it is the rest of the city that needs protection from you.”

Liu Jin and Lu Mei frown. That is unfortunately unobjectionable.

“Shall we go?” Bright Swords says.

~~~

“I am afraid there are not many places you will enjoy visiting,” Bright Sword says as they walk through the streets of Cloudburst City.

They have yet to leave the living area for the soldiers, meaning this part of the city is not as horrible as the rest of it. And yet, that means relatively little. The roads are cracked, parks are non-existent, and the few stores they see are run-down and dirty.

“Most bars are closed at this time of the day, and I do not believe you’d be interested in whorehouses,” Bright Sword says as he shows them around. “There are also no restaurants you can sample. General Murong does not believe in fine dining.”

“The general.. does not believe in fine dining?” Lu Mei cannot help but echo the odd phrase.

“Food is to be killed and eaten. It is purely for sustenance. The only enjoyment one can gain from it is the satisfaction of killing one’s prey. Any sort of adornment is unneeded and offensive,” Bright Sword says, clearly reciting from memory. “There used to be many cooks once upon a time. Murong Bang was not interested in people who could not kill their prey, so they died.”

Bright Sword shrugs haplessly at that. What can you do? That’s what the gesture seems to say. Indeed, what can one do once an Emperor has made up his mind?

“Am I right to assume other professions suffered similar fates?” Liu Jin asks. “The artists? The painters? The sculptors?”

“I believe there is no need to answer that question,” Bright Sword says. “Only the spatial artisans were spared, though quite a few lost their lives during the conquest of the city. A few committed suicide later. It was a grim affair.”

He does not sound the slightest bit grim about it.

“I suppose I could show you the arena, even if there are no events planned for the day,” Bright Sword says as he leads them to the large building. “It is certainly better than showing you the barracks.”

“Protecting your soldiers from us?” Lu Mei asks.

“Yes, I believe I made that clear already,” Bright Sword says bluntly. “The stronger and smarter soldiers will not think to challenge you after what happened to Han last night. However, that still leaves a mass of carefully cultivated fools, and they are so very foolish in their foolishness. I believe we would all benefit from avoiding those altercations.”

“You speak as if you are different,” Liu Jin says, eying him from the side. “Can I take that to mean you did not grow under Murong Bang’s influence like the rest of his army?”

“I’d be insulted if you had not come to that conclusion. In fact, I am a little insulted it has taken you this long to notice,” Bright Sword says. “There are two types of people in Murong Bang’s army. Those like me, who came here fully formed, and those like Han, who were largely formed here. I have tried to give him some guidance, but he has always been quick to anger. I am sure you are familiar with that, Young Liu Jin.”

Lu Mei and Liu Jin freeze.

“Han told you,” Liu Jin says.

“Quite,” Bright Sword says. “Do not worry. General Murong knows nothing of it. I only know because he came to me for help. Han would have never revealed so much about himself otherwise.”

“You do not sound angry,” Liu Jin notes.

“Should I be?” Bright Sword asks. “Han is a young man I have given some guidance to. However, I have no stake in your fight with him, especially since General Murong has decided you are his for now. I apologize if my words made you think I intend to take revenge or some other trite thing. I merely find your situation intriguing. To think two young men from one of the towns we raided would have ended in such curious positions.”

“You sound a little too interested for a man who claims to have no intentions to interfere,” Lu Mei notes, her face set on a frown.

“I am interested in the same way the people you saw the other day were interested in the beggars fighting,” Bright Sword says. “What would be the point of interfering when I want to see the result?”

Lu Mei bristles with anger. Bright Sword has essentially said that, to him, Liu Jin and Han are the same as the beggars. It is insulting, yet they can say nothing in response. The difference between Bright Sword and them is the same as the difference between the crowd and the beggars.

No, if anything, it is probably greater.

“It is not every day you see young men who have taken as many steps into their Dao as you have,” Bright Sword says. “That you were able to damage Han in the way you did is quite noteworthy.”

“I was lucky. That’s all,” Liu Jin says.

“Is that so?” Bright Sword hums, clearly not believing him. “I must say. Watching two young men grow by fighting against each other makes me think of my own disciple. Well, he would not call himself my disciple, but I have been training him quite fiercely, ungrateful though he might be.”

Bright Sword looks up ahead. “Ah, we are here already.”

Liu Jin frowns as he lays eyes on the arena. There is a large crowd of people around the building.

“What is this?” he asks.

“People,” Bright Sword says unhelpfully. “The homeless, the desperate, and the broken.”

“I thought you said there were no events today,” Lu Mei says.

“Sirs!” One of the people in the crowd notices them and calls out to them. His voice seems to serve as a signal. Soon everyone is pointing and running toward them.

“My lords!”

“Oh, great cultivators, please!”

They are an avalanche of hands, mouths with missing teeth, dirty faces, and foul smells. They surround them in an instant. Pleading and begging. Reaching their hands out to them.

“Enough!” Lu Mei roars, her wind pushing all of them back. She does it gently, yet there are so many of them that they fall over each other.

“What is this?” Liu Jin asks, turning to Bright Sword.

“Is it not obvious?” He asks. “These people want to participate in the games.”

“But there are none today!”

“Quite, and they are very sad about it. General Murong often offers prizes for the winner, you see,” Bright Sword says. “Desperate and broken. These people have no future, so they foolishly waste their lives in the arena, hoping to find one. It is pitiful, but these fools have forgotten any other way of living.”

Noticing Liu Jin’s expression, he adds, “Oh, did you think they all needed to be forced? No, there is no need for that. You see…”

He does not need to finish. Liu Jin understands what he is about to say. There is no need to force them because the world does it for them.

The world Murong Bang created.

~~~