"Identification?"

Xiyu Zhai's spatial ring flashed, briefly illuminating the narrow alley with its dim purple shine as a silver token appeared in her hand. She held it out for the thuggish man to inspect, but didn't let go of it when he tried to take it. Grumbling but not commenting further at the gesture, he instead leaned forward to take a closer look at it.

A largely inconspicuous plate of silver, the thin red lines that were laid into its surface looked almost as if they had been inscribed entirely at random – to the uninitiated, this token would mean little to nothing. The dubious doorman before her, however, was not among those.

Straightening his posture and lowering his head, his dismissive attitude shifted into subservience the moment he had gotten a good look at it.

"Esteemed customer… I didn't realize!"

Xiyu Zhai wordlessly returned the token to her ring.

"Please, allow me to guide you."

The man unlocked and opened the door he had been guarding, gesturing her inside. At a glance, the door seemed nothing but a couple of rotten planks, but closer inspection revealed a thick layer of solid steel beneath them. Xiyu Zhai nodded towards her son who looked at her somewhat questioningly before the two headed inside. Behind them, the guard closed the door, shutting out the last scraps of daylight and leaving them in total darkness.

Before long, the jittering light of a newly lit lantern in the man's hand allowed them to take a look around; it was, at best, unremarkable. Besides a table, fireplace, a couple of barrels and a bed with a straw mattress that had probably seen its best times long before Dayuan had even been born, there were only dust and a couple of cobwebs to be found. That and a flight of stairs leading down further into the darkness. That simplicity, of course, was exactly the point; This wasn't supposed to be an inviting entrance hall by any means.

After the guard had passed Xiyu Zhai and her son, he led the two down the stairs and through a couple of dimly lit hallways. He didn't initiate any conversation and since neither she or her son were in the business of chatting up shady underground henchmen, the three walked in silence, only broken by the sounds of their footsteps on the moist stone floor and the slight creaking of the swinging lantern.

After a while, they emerged from another door into a large open space, closely resembling a market square. A busy crowd could be seen haggling and trading, many different stalls were spread throughout, and peddlers were loudly advertising their wares. Only, the goods being sold here weren't of the common variety.

"Silver-resin City's underground market is the largest of its kind in the entire peninsula.", Xiyu Zhai answered her son's questioning look. "Far away from any of the great sects, both cultivation resources and information are traded freely here."

"And the token?"

"They hand that out to any Dao Contemplation Cultivator who'll take it. Helps avoiding altercations with those they can't afford to offend."

"If so many people know about it, why isn't it…?"

"Many of the minor sects in the region depend on it.", Xiyu Zhai answered while gesturing her son to keep moving through the crowd. "They… no, we use it to trade with the sects not under the Roaring Thunder Sect without their oversight."

"I see."

Dayuan looked at his mother with mixed feelings.

"I knew you wouldn't approve of it; it goes against our sect's principles. But the sects do what they can to prosper under the circumstances, and this is part of it. I would have brought you here sooner or later anyways, even if it wasn't for our… situation."

He nodded along slowly, but she knew he wasn't convinced. She hadn't been either, when she had first learned about this place, though she had come around with time. The world wasn't kind enough to be righteous all the time.

Xiyu Zhai came to a stop before a small but lavishly decorated stall. The small, chubby man behind the counter was busy sorting a couple of his exhibits, before he spotted them. He stood up from his seat and bowed deeply before greeting them in a cheery tone.

"My lord, my lady. How may I be of service? I can guarantee you'll find only the best cultivation supplies here! Wonders of alchemy sourced directly from masters among masters!"

"I need healing pills. The best you have." Xiyu Zhai flashed the token again, and the man's eyes widened with recognition.

"I understand. Please follow me, my lady, my best wares aren't stored here."

Xiyu Zhai nodded, turning to her son.

"Wait for me here. Take a look around and if anything catches your eye, go ahead and get it. Don't worry, this place is safer than the city palace. I'll be right back."

Then she followed the merchant as he led her into the building behind him. Once they were inside and alone, he spoke up as they walked.

"If I may ask, my Lady, what is it you want to heal? Or are you just looking to fill up on supplies?"

"What does it concern you?", Xiyu Zhai asked, a hint of suspicion in her tone.

"Nothing, nothing, please don't misunderstand. It's just that I may be able to better assess what pills would be fitting if I knew their specific purpose."

Xiyu Zhai considered for a while, concluding that the information could be of little harm to her. If Song Fan should think to search here, their visit wouldn't stay a secret anyways and she was reasonably certain he'd be able to guess the reasons for it. Her spatial ring flashed, and her son's finger appeared in her hand. It was withered and leathery, though its confinement to the ring had kept it from rotting away.

"I want to reattach this to my son's hand."

That was indeed what she wanted, what she desperately wanted. Her whole reason for deserting the Roaring Thunder Sect and leaving what remained of her sect behind had been to defy Song Fan and his sadistic commands. She wouldn't leave him this victory, and she wouldn't be a mother who had cost her son a finger.

Originally, the plan had been to heal Dayuan as soon as the two were away from the army, but Xiyu Zhai had been forced to use up what remained of her healing supplies from the fight against Ma Rong to treat the injuries she had accumulated while shaking off their pursuers.

They'd made for the next town right away but, as it turned out, high quality healing pills were hard to come by in an active warzone. After wasting an entire week heading from town to town, Silver-resin City's underground market was her last resort. Lost limbs became more difficult to attach with each passing day, and if the market didn't have anything, they were out of options.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Seeing the finger appear in her hand, the merchant drew air through his teeth.

"I see… That is a difficult ask indeed. I'll have to look through my stock to see if I have anything that could help you."

They had arrived in a lavishly decorated reception room and he gestured towards a large divan, covered in red velvet.

"Could I ask you to wait here for a moment whilst I do so, my Lady?"

Xiyu Zhai nodded, but didn't make her way to the divan. She didn't feel like laying down.

"I'll wait."

The merchant eyed her for a moment, bowed, and scurried off through a different door than they had come from. Now alone, Xiyu Zhai looked around the room a bit more carefully. Large paintings and tapestries decorated the walls, invaluable vases and trinkets were laid out on pedestals and a massive golden chandelier, adorned with gems in all colors, hung from the ceiling; The room looked like it belonged in one of the great city-palaces – only the host of servants was missing.

Xiyu Zhai had always been fascinated by such over-the-top displays of mortal wealth. If it wasn't looked down upon between cultivators, she might have even decorated her own Sect Palace in a similar way. Not that it was her palace anymore, now that she had deserted…

Absentmindedly, she reached up to her neck to scratch an itch she was feeling – only to flinch back when her hand met cold steel.

The present snapped back into focus and Xiyu Zhai's breath caught in shock as she suddenly became aware of the dagger whose point laid softly against her throat.

"Don't move.", a female voice softly commanded and a tender hand, cold like ice, was put on her shoulder. Xiyu Zhai obeyed.

"Xiyu Zhai, Matriarch of the Rising Tide Sect, is that correct?"

Xiyu Zhai nodded mechanically, almost against her own will. A voice in the back of her head wondered, if telling the truth here was wise.

"Good. Then I'm going to have to ask you a couple of questions."

Only now did her mind begin to race.

Who was this? One of Song Fan's subordinates? How had they found her already? And how had this woman snuck up on her like this? Was the merchant in on it? Had they been detected before even entering the market? And that led her to a question that burned so bright it instantly blew all the others away: What about Dayuan?

Her breath quickened against her will and her heart began to pound. She felt her sword brush against her side, its hilt just a finger's breadth away from her hand, but she knew instinctively that she'd be dead before she could even draw it from its sheath.

So, she only nodded again, while trying to regain control of her breathing.

"You are with an army of the Roaring Thunder Sect." It wasn't a question, but a statement. "Who is your commander?"

"Song Fan.", Xiyu Zhai stated, almost whispering as she begrudgingly acknowledged the fact.

"Song Fan.", the woman repeated, before moving on. "You are here, but the army isn't nearby, is it?"

"No, it isn't." Xiyu Zhai could only go along with the questions. Any words she could have spoken to defend herself were stuck in her throat.

She cursed herself for her weakness. She cursed her luck. And she cursed her decision to flee the army. She should have known that it wouldn't turn out well. Now she had put not only her own, but also her son's life in jeopardy.

"Then why are you here?"

"I…"

Xiyu Zhai was about to acknowledge her guilt when she was interrupted by the creaking of an opening door. She turned her head just enough so she could see the arrivals… and everything became a thousand times worse.

"My Lady…"

"Mother…"

Both the merchant and Dayuan were momentarily stunned as they took in the situation before them. Then, both of them began to run.

The merchant turned on the spot and ran in the direction he had come from as fast as his stubby legs would carry him; Dayuan ran towards her, drawing his sword as he dashed forwards.

'NO!', Xiyu Zhai wanted to scream, but she couldn't.

Before she could process what was happening, the woman had let go of her and a blurring shadow dashed towards the door. It passed by her son, and he was stopped in his tracks, unmoving for a single second before he sacked to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut. A moment later, Xiyu Zhai could hear a loud thud as the merchant hit the ground as well.

When the shadow reemerged from the door, Xiyu Zhai could finally get a look at the woman, as she casually strolled forwards. Shadows wreathed around her like a living cloak and her unblemished, porcelain-white skin seemed like an emotionless mask, starring from beneath the night-black hair in a mockery of life.

The woman's emotionless eyes that seemed to stare into her soul focused her for a moment, but then they drifted to her son, who lay on the floor unconscious.

Only now did Xiyu Zhai unfreeze from her shock. With a rush of grim determination, she finally drew her sword and jumped forward, bringing herself between her son and the woman, who responded by dashing forward herself.

A jug full of wine was pulled off a nearby table and vase of flowers shattered as she frantically called upon any water in the surrounding area, but it was too little, too late and far too slow. She could barely raise her sword to meet the incoming strike, only for the dagger to blur away as the illusion was undone and a strike from a totally different angle pierced straight through her wrist.

Her sword slid from her grip and before it had even hit the floor, a kick to her stomach sent her to the ground next to her son, her blood splattering onto his white robes, like his had on hers when she had chopped off his finger.

The woman closed in and Xiyu Zhai formed the little water she had gathered into a blade that she sent to intercept her. The shadows around her darkened further until they seemed like solid darkness and when her blade met them, it shattered like a wave against a boulder.

Then the woman was above her, a knee to Xiyu Zhai's chin sending her head crashing into the floor. Her control over the water slipped and before she could regain it, the dagger was pressed against her throat, this time so firmly that she could feel it drawing blood.

"Who is that?"

The woman's voice was still quiet, but it was harsh now, commanding.

"My son.", Xiyu Zhai answered weakly.

"Why are you not with the army?"

"We… I… I fled. Deserted."

"Why? And why are you here now?"

Xiyu Zhai paused briefly. Was this woman not with the Roaring Thunder Sect?

"I… Song Fan…" She glanced at Dayuan's hand, where only four fingers were curled up into a fist.

"I had to chop off my son's finger as a punishment. I wanted to buy healing pills, so I could reattach it."

The woman paused, following her eyes to her son's hand. Then, suddenly, her suppressive presence seemed to retreat a little and the shadows around her grew softer. Even her cold eyes seemed to become a little warmer.

"And where is the army now?"

"I don't know. Song Fan commanded us to march after a detachment of the Lunar Peaks Sect, led by their Elder Ma Rong." As she spoke, Xiyu Zhai suddenly understood who the woman was, but she continued on.

"He didn't stay with us though, he left Elder Guyuan Luli in charge. I don't know where he went after that. The army would have reached the Lunar Peaks Sect's force in about four days, assuming they continued to make their way towards the Serene Plains Sect, but my escape probably caused a lot of disorder. Several elders pursued me and my son for half a day before we managed to shake them off. That was a week ago."

"How strong is the remaining force?"

"Six Dao Contemplation Cultivators, Elder Luli is the strongest at the fourth stage. Eight hundred Dao Attunement warriors and twice as many weaker ones. All on horseback."

"I see…"

The woman, who Xiyu Zhai was now almost sure was Yue Zhong of the Lunar Peaks Sect stayed silent for a long moment. Then she withdrew the dagger and stood up. The last of the shadows surrounding her faded away and her skin regained some color, though it remained remarkably light.

She took a few steps back and simply examined Xiyu Zhai. After a while, Xiyu Zhai carefully rose up from the ground and, when Yue Zhong didn't object, took a piece of cloth from her spatial ring to wrap around her wounded wrist. Then she crouched down next to Dayuan to check up on him. To her infinite relief, he seemed unhurt and was breathing steadily.

Only when she stood up again and turned to Yue Zhong, did she begin to speak.

"You've managed to get yourself on the bad side of all four major sects in the alliance, if one can still call it that, that's an impressive feat in and off itself. The Roaring Thunder Sect will hunt you for your betrayal and I doubt that the other sects will be willing to forgive you what you have undoubtedly done as member of Song Fan's army. Even in an eventual treaty, I doubt that either side will be willing to include you."

Xiyu Zhai nodded slowly, as the severity of her situation hit her again.

"As a powerful cultivator, you may be reasonably safe, but the same cannot be said about your son. If you want to keep him safe, head for the grand forest as soon as possible and leave the peninsula behind before we have ended this war. Don't think to return before at least half a century has passed."

Xiyu Zhai looked at the woman who had held a dagger to her throat just moments ago, unsure of how to respond.

"That's all the advice I have for you." Her ring flashed and a small bottle appeared. She chucked it at Xiyu Zhai who caught it reflexively.

"This should take care of your wounds and your son's finger. I hope we do not meet again in the foreseeable future."

With those words, Yue Zhong blurred into a shadow again and disappeared from sight, before Xiyu Zhai had a chance to say anything.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.