I helped Feng Mei to her feet. "Calm down. Explain the situation to me first," I said, pulling her gently inside.

"No, there's no time! You have to come or…" her voice trailed off and she backed away. She bowed. "Apologies, I shouldn't-"

I interrupted her with a sigh and a firm hand on her shoulder. "It doesn't matter. Lead the way. Is it a patient?"

"No, not a patient," she said, nodding and rushing off down the mountainside. It wasn't difficult to keep pace, though I had to catch her when she stumbled once or twice.

We headed towards the disciples' residences. A frown appeared on my face as I began to piece together the situation. I didn't want to jump to conclusions, but I feared the worst.

I sensed the crowd before they came into view. Down a side street there were almost forty of the sect's disciples gathered, obstructing the view.

Most of them were shouting, two clear factions among the crowd. Feng Mei froze as she saw the conflict. A flash of guilt appeared in her eyes.

I left her leaning against a wall as I rushed towards the crowd. At first none of the disciples noticed my arrival, but once the first few parted to let me through, the others quickly fell silent.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw one even sheath a dagger they had drawn. I sighed inwardly, realising I'd let this nonsense get out of hand. Right as I was preparing to make such a joyous announcement…

Well, I suppose leading with the stick was a suitable method sometimes. Once the last of the crowd parted, my stomach lurched at the sight that they had concealed. A disciple I didn't recognise lay on the ground, clutching their intestines in one arm.

They lay in a pool of blood, desperately attempting to keep their insides… inside. Before investigating, saving their life took priority.

I knelt down beside the disciple, calmly shoving their guts back into the awful wound. "You can relax now, everything will be fine," I said softly, not letting my rage leak into my voice.

I immediately used my healing technique without restraint. I didn't bother holding back as I'd been doing of late—now was not the time for observation, but action.

After twelve seconds or so, the disciple's face had regained some of its colour and the external wound had been healed. Their intestines would need some time to reorganise themselves, but their life was no longer in danger.

I lowered my head, preparing to comfort them, but they had passed out during the treatment. I lifted the disciple in my arms as I stood, glaring at those around me.

"I am disappointed in you all. I expected better. There will be severe consequences for this," I said coldly. "All disciples will gather outside the Grasping Life Palace in two hours. Anyone not present will be excommunicated from the sect without remorse."

I received nothing in return save for terrified stares and expressions of shame. A few had flashes of anger in their eyes. I made sure to note their faces for later.

With my warning delivered, I headed back towards Feng Mei, still carrying the unconscious disciple in my arms. I realised I didn't even know the boy's name. "Where does he live, do you know?" I asked her.

She snapped out of her daze. This whole time she'd been staring at her bloodstained hands. I suspected she'd tried to treat him and failed before rushing to get me. However, now was not the time to interrogate Feng Mei. First I needed to take this disciple for some rest.

"Y-Yes. His name is Du Tian, he lives just a few streets away. I will show you, Sect Leader," she replied shakily.

Despite the circumstances, I couldn't help but admire the speed with which the sect had developed. The disciples' accommodation near the base of the mountain was shaping into a beautiful town.

Under the guidance of the Yu twins and Wang Ren, we were establishing a real foothold. Which made it even more important that I address these disciplinary issues as soon as possible.

Once I had gently placed the disciple into his bed and left him to rest, I was left alone with Feng Mei. "You will explain what happened, but I can tell you are in no state to do so right now. Bathe yourself and take an hour to calm down, then return to the palace. Bring Xiao Cui with you."

"Yes, Sect Leader," she replied with a blank stare, bowing before scurrying off.

I needed to speak to Wang Ren. As if by magic, the man appeared from the shadows of a nearby house. "I told you this would happen. Hierarchy must be maintained for the sake of the sect, no matter what you think of it," he said, face impassive.

"Yes, you were right. I was a little too relaxed with the disciples. I… Never mind. It will be resolved. Come with me, Ren," I said, steeling my resolve.

He nodded and followed silently. There wasn't much more to be said between us right now. Today was supposed to be a celebration. It had been marred by this incident, but I needed the wake up call.

Idealism was acceptable. Necessary, even, if I wished to accomplish my goals. However, I also needed to be pragmatic in order to ensure those who followed in my wake shared my vision and ideals, rather than clinging to my robe as though it were a golden thigh to raise them from their former circumstances.

****

I sat in the centre of the Grasping Life Palace, a pot of tea and four cups in front of me. Wang Ren sat beside me, emotions unreadable. Across from us sat Feng Mei and Little Cui.

"Tell me what happened earlier, Disciple Mei," I said, pouring the tea cup by cup.

She had washed the blood from her hands and changed into a clean robe, but I saw how she kept scratching at her wrists and glancing down at her palms. A common reaction from junior doctors when they lose their first patient or experience the traumatic aftermath of violence.

"I'm sorry! It's all my fault," she exclaimed, sobbing once again.

"Enough. I asked for an explanation, not an admission of guilt," I said, snapping her out of her cries.

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Xiao Cui had a strange expression, but didn't say a word. She wouldn't meet my gaze, which was odd given that she hadn't even been present at the scene of the incident.

"It began in your absence. As you know, Senior Sister Cui and I had some… disagreements regarding the treatment of some patients. It shouldn't have gone beyond that, but a few of the newer disciples sought to gain an advantage by either denouncing me or allying against Senior Sister Cui. Not all of them came here because they wish to follow your path, but simply because of your generosity. Rumours began to spread that this sect would allow those with less talent to leech free resources to advance." Feng Mei's explanation left me stunned. How had this happened in just a few weeks? Were the people of this world truly that self-centered?

I snapped myself out of the reverie, knowing that it didn't necessarily matter. I would tear this problem out by the root and stem soon.

She continued, seeing my expectant stare. "It spiraled out of control earlier tonight. All the disciples were given a few basic resources to cultivate, something organised by Elder Wang and Miss Chun. The disciple who was wounded, Du Tian, wasn't particularly talented. He hadn't used all the resources yet. The same goes for many others. The disciple who attacked him was Bao Shen, one of the stronger disciples. He stole the resources in order to further his own progression.

"The reason I blame myself is because he claimed that Senior Sister Cui along with the Sect Leader were hoarding resources for themselves. He believed me to be some sort of hero standing up against tyranny. I… I should be punished for this," she said, choking back a sob.

I sat in silence for a moment. I didn't know what to make of this. I knew there might be some issues when we took in new disciples. After all, many of the best recruits had already been snatched up by the Soaring Sword Sect and Cloudy Falls Sect. For it to develop to this extent…?

Feng Mei was right in saying she was to blame, but that wasn't entirely true. Her disagreeing with Xiao Cui regarding a treatment was natural. I encouraged such behaviour in fact—it led to new discoveries.

This Bao Shen was a wolf in sheep's clothing. He was the sort of vicious bully who would have found a way to do this no matter the extraneous circumstances. Feng Mei had made a mistake, but this disciple had simply used that to his advantage.

"Little Cui, do you have something to add?" I asked, giving her the opportunity to clear her conscience. If she had a hand in this incident, I would punish her accordingly. No one gets special treatment in this sect.

She looked down at the floor, unable to meet my gaze. I said nothing. A few seconds later, she started fidgeting with her hands, then spoke. "After Feng Mei dismissed your methods, I…"

Seeing that she wasn't going to continue, I let a little of my spiritual presence leak out. "Go on. Tell me what you did."

"Yes, master! I'm sorry, I never meant for it to get so out of hand. I told a few of the disciples who supported me that we needed to teach the others a lesson, but I didn't mean like this!" Xiao Cui began to sob once she had admitted her guilt.

I could tell from her reactions that she truly didn't mean for someone to be almost killed because of her suggestion, but that didn't mean she was blameless. Yes, she was still a child, but that didn't excuse her from the consequences of her actions. "I will need to consider how to deal with this disaster. Both of you will remain here until the rest of the disciples arrive. Ren, bring me Bao Shen and all of his accomplices."

"As you wish, Sect Leader. What do you plan to do with them?" he replied, leaping to his feet with a grim expression.

"I will need to decide their punishment. One thing is certain—a single rotten apple can spoil the entire barrel. This deed will not be overlooked as an accident."

Silence fell over the Grasping Life Palace following my declaration. Wang Ren vanished into the shadows, utilising his full speed to apprehend the culprits behind Du Tian's attempted murder.

I finished my cup of tea, before standing up to take my leave. Before I departed, I turned to the two girls, ensuring my disappointment was written clearly on my face. "I expected better from both of you. I believed you would be the first to hold up my ideals and demonstrate our legacy to the empire. Perhaps I was wrong."

I gave them no chance to reply before swiftly leaving. It might have been excessively harsh, but it was the only way they would understand the gravity of their actions. I hoped it would help them learn from this. If not… I didn't need such people in my sect.

****

"I am glad to hear you're settling in. I have to admit I was worried about you and your friend when we arrived. You didn't seem like you were at home," I said to Yu Chun as we strolled through the forest.

I had bumped into her as I left the Grasping Life Palace and figured it was a good time to catch up. I wanted to explain my offer to her as well. Even though I needed Manager Zheng's help to pull it off, it was better to inform Yu Chun ahead of time to see if she was interested.

"Well, you stole my heart and took me from my home in the dead of night. A romantic villain," she replied with a flirtatious wink. There was some pain behind the jokes, but it was her way of dealing with things. "You're right. It was strange at first, but the mountain is beautiful and I have everything I need. As it is, I've simply shifted my organisational talents from managing courtesans to the sick and wounded. Honestly, they complain less."

I let out a sharp bark of laughter. For her to make such jokes, she was definitely settling in. That pleased me.

"Well, you have a real talent for it. Separating the patients by priority was inspired. It helped me a great deal, in fact. Thank you."

"It was nothing. Only doing what is required of me."

"Still, you didn't have to. If you weren't happy here, you could have moved to Twisting Ridge City, but I'm glad you chose to stay."

Her face twisted into a grimace. Even so, she was still rather cute. "I've had enough of cities to last a dozen lifetimes. This peaceful mountain life suits me far better."

"I agree." Picking a flower from the nearby grass—after ensuring it wasn't one powering the natural formation which covered the peak—I tucked it into her hair with a deft application of qi. She blushed, a genuine reaction rather than the manufactured seduction she'd perfected back in Three River City. "If you enjoy management, I have a position to offer you," I said, dispelling the tension.

"Oh? Quite a formal way to propose," she said, making me freeze like a deer in headlights. She giggled. "You're too easy. I'm interested, what's the position?"

"Don't let Wang Ren catch you teasing me like that around the disciples." Clearing my throat, I continued to walk as I explained what I had in mind. "I plan to set up a system of merit, to reward disciples for contributing to the sect. If I tweak things a little, it should also help prevent incidents like the one today. I would need someone to manage the system and you seemed like the perfect candidate. My only concern was your lack of cultivation. I wouldn't want an overzealous disciple attempting to rob you on the job."

"You just assumed I had no talent for cultivation? The role sounds interesting, I'm in."

"Well… you're still a mortal. I am pleased to hear it though. A manager of the Golden Leaf Consortium should visit in a few days. I was thinking that she could help train you on appraisal of items and other related matters to prepare you."

"That would be most appreciated, Sect Leader Zhao. I'm surprised you thought of me… As for cultivation, let's just say my previous employers didn't want their rats getting too powerful to control. I'm a little old to start now, but if it's necessary I can put in the effort. Enough that I won't be a complete pushover, anyway." Her shoulders sank once she'd finished speaking.

"That must have been… horrible. I'm sorry you had to suffer under them. This world is cruel, but I aim to make it a better place to live," I replied, earning a soft smile in return. "Let's head back. It's almost time for me to address the disciples. To think I planned to announce the creation of the first healing techniques and instead I have to punish someone publicly…"

"You created them!? That's incredible. Well done," Yu Chun exclaimed, grabbing my face in her hands and kissing me on the cheek.

I was flustered for a moment before letting the moment wash over me. This was pleasant. "Thank you. It was difficult, but it proves I can do what I set out to do."

"Indeed. A true prodigy," she teased. "What are you going to do to the culprit? In my opinion, a quick death would set a firm example."

I blanched. "You're so violent, Miss Yu. Though you might be right. Even so, I won't found my legacy on the blood of a misguided youth. Death will not be the punishment. For a boy like him, however, what I have in mind might be far worse."

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