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Chapter 15
1,206 words · 10 days ago
The Li estate stood serene beneath the early sun, its stone courtyards and tiled rooftops bathed in quiet gold. Li Chen stepped through the outer gate, greeted by the rustling of plum blossoms and the rhythmic sweep of broom bristles against stone.
But something had changed.
Not in the estate, but within him.
His steps felt heavier, yet more certain. The forest still clung to his breath and bones. He had crossed a threshold that no courtyard practice could replicate.
Near the central path, a young guard saluted with a lowered gaze.
“Young Master Li Chen. The Patriarch and Madam Wei Lin are in the clan hall, meeting with the five elders.”
Li Chen gave a short nod. “Thank you.”
As he neared the tall wooden doors of the main hall, voices echoed beyond the lacquered panels. He paused under the shaded overhang, and words drifted clearly to his ears.
“The Three Cities Tournament is less than a month away,” came the deep, even voice of Li Huo, his father.
“This year, as always, the spirit stone allotment will follow the 5:3:2 ratio among the three cities.”
Wei Lin’s voice followed, calm and precise.
“This year, the City Lord has declared that ten percent of Jinling’s allotted spirit stones will go to the family that contributes the most in the tournament.”
Li Chen’s brow lifted slightly. So not just a matter of pride. A matter of resources.
A shift in position at this tournament could mean wealth. Influence. Power.
He stepped inside.
The clan hall was wide and solemn, sunlight filtering through lattice windows onto the polished floor. At the center sat Li Huo, robed in dark grey trimmed with silver thread. Beside him stood Wei Lin, hands folded, her gaze calm and unshifting.
Before them sat the five elders, arranged in a semicircle.
1st Elder Li Zhong, wiry with ink-stained sleeves and long white brows; his calculating eyes seldom missed a detail.
2nd Elder Li Fang, thick-boned and disciplined, his posture stiff, his voice always clipped.
3rd Elder Li Min, the only woman among them, serene and observant, with silver-pinned hair and age-softened grace.
4th Elder Li Tao, stern and skeptical, his jaw like carved stone, robe unadorned.
5th Elder Li Ren, thin and silent, his eyes deep-set and cold as still water.
As Li Chen entered, five pairs of eyes turned toward him.
He bowed. “Elders. Patriarch. Mother.”
They returned the gesture, each quietly attempting to gauge his cultivation.
And each... failed.
The suppression ring, crafted to conceal strength up to Core Formation, held firm.
Li Zhong spoke first.
“So, the forest did not swallow you. That is well. Many leave. Few return wiser.”
He studied Li Chen. “I assume you’ve reached the first stage of Body Refinement?”
Li Chen offered a polite smile. “I’ve learned much.”
Before questions could deepen, he added, “In the outer forest, I saw something odd. Beast trails, wide, scattered. Herds shifting deeper.”
The elders tensed.
Li Min leaned forward. “You suspect a gathering?”
Li Chen didn’t confirm, but didn’t deny it.
Li Tao muttered, “Likely coincidence.”
Wei Lin’s tone sharpened slightly. “Or the start of a wave.”
Li Huo cut in, voice calm but decisive. “We’ll place scouts. Discreetly. If something rises, we’ll know.”
The elders murmured assent, then one by one, rose and exited.
Silence returned as the doors shut.
Li Huo turned to his son. “The ring hides well. But not from us.”
Li Chen blinked. “You... saw through it?”
Wei Lin nodded. “It’s crafted to mask anything beneath Core Formation. But we are far beyond that.”
That quiet statement hung in the air.
The world thought his father was merely Foundation Building.
And yet, he could see now: they had simply let the world believe what it wanted.
If the ruler of the forest is only fourth-level... and they stand above that... then I was never truly alone.
“I brought back beast bodies, blood, herbs,” Li Chen said. “Some I’ll keep. I’d like to sell the rest.”
Wei Lin reached toward his ring with a sweep of mental strength.
She paused midway through the inventory.
“Mudhorn Serpent. A Blood Fruit.”
“And... fang-backed wolves, a thunder lynx, clean heart bloods. A profitable hunt.”
Li Huo glanced up in silent approval.
Wei Lin turned, retrieved a sealed pouch from her own ring.
“Serpent body: four hundred low-grade stones. The rest, about two-fifty.”
She handed it over. “Six hundred fifty. Silent channels. No names. No trails.”
Li Chen accepted it.
650 Low-Grade Spirit Stones
Payment for the serpent body and the rest of the hunt, sold through silent channels.
Wei Lin’s gaze sharpened briefly.
“Spirit stones are more than coin. They’re refined Qi, compressed over decades.
Low-grade stones work for most until Qi Condensation. After that, only mid-grade or high-grade can sustain advancement.
Every grade scales a hundred to one.”
“We didn’t give you any before,” she added, “because you hadn’t yet earned the foundation to use them.”
Li Chen nodded. Spirit stones didn’t make strength. They fueled what you already had.
As he turned to leave, the door whispered closed behind him.
Ten days ago, he’d walked into the wild as a trainee.
Now, he returned with clarity. Every sale, silence, and sentence was measured.
This is how cultivators grow into leaders.
Wei Lin stood at the window, eyes on the far path.
A curl of silver mist pooled at her feet. From it emerged a white shape, elegant, low to the ground.
A three-tailed white fox stepped forward, fur like moonlight, eyes gleaming with quiet knowing.
Yuying brushed gently against her leg.
Wei Lin reached down and stroked her fur. “You followed him?”
Yuying’s voice was soft, articulate, more than mimicry. It carried mind.
“He moves as if trained, but no one taught him.”
“His reactions are beyond instinct. His eyes see too much. Before danger strikes, he moves.”
“And when he wills it, illusion. Simple at first. But now layered. Reflex. Perception. The kind that can deceive with time.”
Li Huo said nothing, but his brow furrowed.
Wei Lin murmured, “Not from the demonic bloodline, then.”
“No,” Yuying replied. “The demonic strength is raw. But this... this is something else.
It’s not from us. But it’s in him now.”
A pause.
“He doesn’t know its origin. Neither do I. But its traits are clear, and dangerous.”
Wei Lin was silent a moment longer. Then she asked, “And the forest?”
“Beasts stir,” Yuying said. “But no Beast Lord yet. It’s unstable. Not catastrophic. Not yet.”
Wei Lin nodded.
“If something above the third level emerges, kill it.”
Yuying’s eyes gleamed. “If not?”
Li Huo answered, voice low but steady.
“Let Jinling face its own trial. This city sharpens by fire.”
Wei Lin smiled faintly.
“Strength doesn’t grow in shelter.”
The fox nodded, and then her form unraveled into silver mist, vanishing as if she had never been there.
Outside the estate, evening light glowed against the city walls. The festival banners were being hung. The city prepared for its tournament. Proud clans practiced, blades clashed, hopeful youth dreamed.
But deep beneath the surface, something older moved.
Bloodlines whispered. Beasts stirred. And not all eyes that watched were human.