I stopped in front of granny’s cottage, taking a breath and schooling my face. I licked my lip and propped my hand up to knock at the door, but stopped, considering my next step. However, I just shook my head and moved my hand, intuitively tapping in a specific rhythm. I recalled where I’d heard it immediately. A song from my past life, one that I used to listen to quite frequently before I died.

I shook my head out of it and sighed, reminding myself that talking or thinking about my past would do me no good considering I could no longer return to the past. Even if I could, I wondered if I would, now that I…

Anyway.

I waited outside, my feet unknowingly tapping on the ground with the rhythm in mind. However, no one answered even after a minute or two. I sighed and knocked again, calling out to anyone inside.

“Anybody there? Granny?”

No one answered, again.

I grew suspicious and kicked open the door after trying a few more times. It slammed open, ramming into the side wall and dropping on the floor with a thud. There was no light inside, and only the windows and the now open door remained the source of all light. I walked in with a sniff of a weird smell. Putrid and nauseating. I sniffed once more, the smell only getting worse by the second.

“What happened here?” I said to no one in particular, eyes peering for the source of the smell. The door to the kitchen flung open as I entered, the source of smell coming into my view.

“A rat?”

I squinted my eyes, drawing near and observing. It truly was a rat. I refrained from picking it up with my hand, and with a quick thought put it in my Inventory to be observed later.

I sighed, shaking my head—to think I’d thought this would be something else…

Thankfully, there wasn’t anything else.

Granny wasn’t here, nor was that boy. It was suspicious that they’d vanished just when the conflict between us and Obsidian Shadow Clan worsened. However, I refrained myself from jumping to conclusions and simply searched around the house for any clues.

Footprints. Rushed and hurried, panicky, even. I rubbed my chin, searching throughout the cottage and the garden in the back, and the area around it. I found nothing. I could do nothing but return.

I wondered if I should put someone on their tail… yes, I should, honestly. With that in mind, I lingered no longer than necessary and made my way back, thinking about all the recent happenings.

There was no need to say it, but I was weak. However, I knew I’d be getting my powers back sooner than later, now that Kai was sort of recovered and would start cultivating again soon. The moment he had a breakthrough…

“I’d have it back,” I said. I’d have my power back. The thought alone brought hope, but I had to admit—I wasn’t excited even though I was so near what I wanted. Was this truly what I wanted? Power? Then why was I not excited to get it back?

I just wanted to survive, and that was possible now.

The recent fight with Tian Mo had taught me well-needed lessons…

I shook my head, continuing my walk.

On the way back to the mansion, however, I was stopped by a familiar figure.

She wore casual wear today, nothing surprising honestly considering her nature—and sure enough, her eyes were drooped and she seemed like she’d fall asleep any second.

“Elder Wu,” she murmured, her gaze meeting mine briefly before drifting away. “I’d like to talk to you.”

“Hmm?” I raised an eyebrow, studying her face. “Go ahead, what is it?”

“We’ll be beginning expeditions down the mists.”

“Oh, okay, good.”

“Do you want to send any of your disciples?” She asked with droopy eyes and no enthusiasm whatsoever, leaving me considering my next move.

Just a little thinking and I knew I didn’t want my disciples fighting, yet. Kai was not only in recovery, he needed to breakthrough first, and not to mention they were weak. This was nothing but the start of their journey.

So, no.

I gave her a once-over.

“You look like you’ve just survived a hundred-year nap,” I said.

“Oh, you noticed,” she said with a barely suppressed yawn, rolling her eyes at my blatant shift of topics. “The wonders of sleep deprivation and existential dread, my dear.”

“Existential dread?” I raised an eyebrow. “Obsidian ain’t nothing, you know.”

“Not them,” she shook her head. “Forget it, you wouldn’t get it anyway.”

“Well, aren’t you exceptionally... lethargic today.”

Shen Yue nodded slowly, voice monotone. “It's a talent.”

“Ho?”

“Yes, I’ve perfected the art of embracing exhaustion. Keeps expectations low.”

I shrugged, eyes wandering off to the disciple preparing to leave. They appeared to be forming teams.

“Exciting times ahead with these expeditions, don't you think?”

Shen Yue rolled her eyes, feigning enthusiasm. “Absolutely thrilling. I can hardly contain my excitement.” She said, yawning once more.

“You don’t sound very enthusiastic about the treasure hunts,” I said with a side eye, standing shoulder to shoulder along her.

“Enthusiasm takes energy,” she answered dryly. “Energy I don’t have. Besides, treasures come and go. Sleep, on the other hand, is priceless.”

I chuckled. “Fair point. I suppose you have your priorities straight.”

“Priorities,” she said, smirking with eyes half-closed, “or just a sense of apathy. Who’s to say?”

“Any thoughts on my disciples joining the expeditions?” I said, getting back on the topic I’d tried to avoid. I knew what I would answer now.

Shen Yue paused, looking at me with a hint of annoyance. Huh, why?

“Well, mine will be killing it there, they’ve been under me for long. Your disciples, though? They’ll do what they do,” she shrugged. “If they survive, great. If not, well, less paperwork for everyone.”

“You sure have a unique way of looking at things, Shen Yue.”

“The highest compliment I've received all day,” she said dryly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go back to my favorite pastime: contemplating the futility of existence. Sweet dreams, or whatever’s left of them. Your disciples are not coming, I presume—it’s good they won’t be there, honestly. It gets... Ugly, and they’re not ready.”

“Yeah,” I shook my head, eyes on the sect disciples preparing to leave.

Shen Yue called out to them, beckoning them to follow her.

A smirk played at my lips involuntarily as I saw them leave, operation rip off my own sect for money had just begun. I had all the Vipervine I needed to have a monopoly on the market for a while, after all—and they would need it to make potions, and pills, ones necessary to survive the mists.

I watched the disciples depart without a flicker of emotion. I was focused on what my next steps would be—aside from ripping off my sect for money, of course.

I shook my head on the way back to my mansion. I found Kai diligently cultivating, his fists clenched. I observed him for a moment before my thoughts shifted to the Obsidian Shadow Clan.

“Don’t move,” a voice whispered, and I felt something cold touching my nape followed by a sharp knife pressed against my neck.

My chest tightened. What was this? Who? Why so suddenly?

“Who’re you,” I said.

“Obsidian Shadow Clan is amassing forces near the Eastern Boundary,” the voice—a man, from the tone—said. “They prepare for a major offensive, Ryujin. This is war.”

The knife withdrew and I turned, trying to use [Identify] on whoever this was.

However, as my luck had it, I couldn’t even get a glimpse of this person. One thing was for sure, though—he was strong. Strong enough to not get noticed by me when he approached, and strong enough to just vanish upon laying bait.

“Hmm,” I rubbed my neck, considering everything with a critical eye. This… third party… what agenda do you have, you must be gaining something.

Or, was this a trap?

I sighed, something to think about. A meeting was in order, it seemed.

“Now, how the hell no one from our side noticed anything suspicious on the Eastern Boundary?”

I stood by the window, gazing out at the moonlit landscape—night had just fallen.

I forgot I needed to think of some excuse regarding my “recovery”. The elders will be suspicious otherwise.

I sighed once more.

I was having quite the day.

“Meow~”

I heard a mewl and couldn’t help but smile, looking down at Biscuit. She sauntered over with her tail flicking from side to side.

“Where’s Noodles?” I asked, and she looked away. Oh, I knew that look—the look of someone who knew they’d done something wrong but wouldn’t admit it and would like to play dumb.

“What happened? What did you do now?”

“Meooowwww!” She said, looking at me as if she’d been betrayed.

“Sure, you didn’t,” I rolled my eyes. “Now, tell me where she is.”

She looked away, and I sighed. Squatting down and grabbing her, I scooted her up in my arms and decided to go search for Noodles.

***

- A day later -

“Eastern Boundary, you say?” Li Mei said, eyes narrowed. “Are you sure?”

“Why would I lie?” I said.

“Is it a trap?” Shen Yue said.

I shrugged. Highly likely, to be honest.

“We must attack,” Zhang Jun said, grinning. “This is a good chance.”

“Hmm,” Wei Rui sounded, and everyone quietened. “Elder Wu—”

“Yes, First Elder.”

—“What are your thoughts?”

I stopped to think for a moment. “This is either a trap. A ploy to bring us out so they can attack. To ambush us. Or it’s a genuine report from a third party—their goal remains unseen, though.

“Divide and Conquer. Power Play, even—perhaps this third party seeks to control both us and the Obsidian Shadow Clan so it can achieve whatever it wants while we’re busy. Their intentions are unknown so I can only speculate.”

The room fell into a heavy silence, everyone having their own thoughts and beliefs.

Li Mei, her brows furrowed, seemed to be considering the possibilities. “If it’s a trap, we can’t afford to walk into it blindly,” she said finally, her voice slow and measured as if she was still contemplating. “We need more information, and confirmation from our scouts. Stealth and strategy might be our best weapons here.”

Eh, the ever-cautious and kind, still thinking that conflict can be avoided…

“But what if it’s not a trap?” Shen Yue butted in. “What if this is our chance to strike a blow against them? We’ve been in this stalemate for too long, First Elder. We’re a demonic sect, for goodness sake. Since when did we start having meetings—stop annoying me.”

I shrugged, shaking my head, old-fucking-traditions. What are they other than peer-pressure of the fucking dead? The elders gotta all have a meeting and consider everything before the first makes a decision. Honestly, at this point someone should just take the seat, traditions be damned. Who wants to play war with each other for the head position when we have other things to worry about?

Well, that would be just me. Others her—aside from Li Mei, perhaps—everyone would pounce on each other and war it out to decide the next sect leader.

Zhang Jun grinned confidently. “I say we go for it. Surprise them. If it’s a trap, we’ll be ready. If it’s not, we catch them off guard. It's a win-win.”

“Rushing in without a clear plan is foolish. We must gather more intelligence, assess the situation carefully, and then decide our course of action. Recklessness will only lead to disaster!” Li Mei interjected.

Oh, my—

Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed through the chamber, shaking the very foundations of the building. Small dust particles rained down from the ceiling, and the elders instinctively reached for their weapons, their Gu flaring.

“What in the world...” Shen Yue began, her words cut off by another deafening blast.

“What’s happening now?” I asked, looking at Wei Rui.