“Good,” Rhee remarked, seeing Ishin’s acceptance. “Now then, it turns out that for each ranking you rose through during the Gauntlet, you earn twenty contribution points.”

  Twenty contribution points each? Ishin fought not to voice his surprise.

  “Surprising, isn’t it,” Rhee said, evidently noticing his reaction. “Congratulations. You earned sixty contribution points.”

  “That many?” Mei asked.

  “Indeed.” Rhee glanced around and then retrieved something from Ishin’s bedside. Ishin saw that she’d grabbed his sect medallion, which he hadn’t realized wasn’t around his neck. “They applied it to you while you were asleep. Did the same to me.” She pressed the medallion into his left hand. “See for yourself.”

  Ishin did so, sending a brief pulse of qi into the medallion. The information appeared in his mind, confirming his new total was one hundred and four contribution points. A grin tugged at the corner of his lips. With this many points I can finally visit the library and get new techniques. He was already formulating his strategy.

  “Look how eager he is,” Rhee told Mei. The amusement was clear in her voice. “The second he’s out of bed I bet he’ll pay your aunt a visit.”

  “It would be wise,” Mei admitted. Her brow furrowed. “But I don’t remember the Elder mentioning anything about earning contribution points when Brother Ishin began fighting.”

  Rhee waved a dismissive hand. “I asked Senior Jiang Yu the same when I was finally discharged. Apparently no one is told ahead of time because true martials should not be motivated by greed.” Ishin could tell from her tone that she didn’t agree with that philosophy. “Regardless, we now have plenty of contribution points.”

  “It seems so,” Mei said quietly. Her eyes drifted to Ishin. “If you want to go visit the library now, I can stay with him while you’re away.”

  Ishin shifted in the bed at that. He didn’t want Rhee to leave, but at the same time he understood that the sooner Rhee could obtain better techniques—especially cultivation techniques—the better. Every day without one was practically a waste, and Ishin would be stuck here for the next three days.

  Rhee didn’t respond immediately, silently considering the offer. Her eyes moved first to Ishin and then to Mei. “Thank you for the offer,” she said at last. “I’ll do that.” Rhee turned to look at Ishin. “I will be back tomorrow, but remember your promise. No talking. Use this time to cultivate so you don’t fall behind me.”

  Ishin rolled his eyes. She was right though. Three days of recovery did not preclude him from cultivating his lightning chakra. I still need to find a better source of lightning qi.

  “Make sure he behaves,” Rhee told Mei.

  “I will.”

  Ishin noticed that Mei’s fingers were twitching at her sides.

  “Oh right,” Rhee said. She spun back to Ishin. “Heal and get strong. Senior Jiang Yu mentioned that an opportunity is coming in the next month for disciples in the Combat Hall. One that will pay a lot of contribution points.”

  Ishin cocked his head at that.

  “There will be?” Mei asked.

  Rhee shrugged. “I guess so. She didn’t share the specifics, but told me to share it with you,” she said to Ishin. “Whatever it is, it sounds like a great chance for us to earn points.”

  And contribution points are our best path to acquire cultivation resources.

  Ishin was under no illusion of how vital those resources would be. There was a reason why most people never progressed beyond the Adept Realm, with many not even reaching the Adept Realm until old age. Often, ambient qi wasn’t enough. Additional resources were necessary to progress. It was why sects existed in the first place.

  But what is the opportunity?

  “Cultivate,” Rhee told him again. “Then once you’ve recovered, I’ll bring you to the library. And remember your promise to me.”

  Ishin gave a reluctant nod. He wouldn’t break the promise.

  “Good.” Rhee gave Mei a sympathetic smile. “Thank you for watching him. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  Ishin saw Mei’s fingers twitch again. “Of course, Sister Rhee.”

  Rhee gave the white-haired woman a nod and then left. Once Mei and he were alone again, Ishin gave her a questioning look. Mei’s expression went through several microexpressions. Clearly she wanted to say something, but ultimately she just sighed and sat on the stool that Jun De had pulled over.

  “You two really don’t waste time on anything but cultivation and fighting, do you?”

  Ishin considered the question and then simply nodded. It was true. He might not have been solely driven to reach the peak of cultivation like Rhee, but he needed power to confront the Void Wraith Sect.

  Isn’t she the same way though?

  He had always figured that Mei and Long also shared their drive for greater power, even if their motives differed.

  Mei ran a hand through her pure white hair, looking to the side. “Do you plan to join the Inner Sect?”

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  Ishin honestly hadn’t thought much about the Inner Sect. His focus had been on progressing his cultivation more than anything. He pondered her question. Currently, Ishin wanted to earn contribution points to gain new techniques and cultivation resources.

  I suppose that the techniques and resources in the Inner Sect are better than those in the Outer Sect.

  The only limitation was the five hundred contribution points needed to partake in the annual trial. It was a lot of contribution points, especially to just attempt to join, but now that Ishin had acquired over one hundred in less than a month—and with the opportunity Rhee had mentioned for the Combat Hall—perhaps that wasn’t as large an obstacle as he originally thought.

  Rhee will probably try to join too. Ishin considered Jiang Yu’s display of power when he and Rhee had first visited the Combat Hall. Senior Jiang Yu is in the Inner Sect.

  Ishin nodded in answer to Mei’s question. Mei frowned slightly at his answer, her hands clenching into fists. “Of course. Foolish question.”

  Does she not want us to for some reason? But that doesn’t make sense.

  Mei’s shoulders slumped. “I’ll just sit here cultivating,” she told Ishin, changing the subject. “You should do it too, like Rhee said. Just let me know if you need more water.”

  As Ishin watched Mei close her eyes, he was still confused by her disappointment at his affirmation about desiring to join the Inner Sect.

  *  *  *

  In a secluded corner of the Administrative Hall, Wei Long moved his brush across a fresh white piece of paper.

  800 lbs of Arrow Root - The Song Verdant Garden - 3,412 Gold Taels – Chen 10 Shangguan Chonglin R 57.

  He copied the information from a faded old purchase record that had turned yellow and wrinkled from age. It was a simple assignment, a minor mission that paid only five contribution points for a few hours of boring scribe labor, but Long had other motivations beyond just contribution points.

  40 Rolls of Silk Thread - The Three Silk Pavilion - 900 Gold Taels – Chen 10 Shangguan Chonglin R 57.

  Xiaolin screeched from atop Long’s shoulder. “Hungry again?” He retrieved a small pouch from within his robes and withdrew a dead, dry cricket. Long gave it to the little spirit beast, and she gulped it down in one bite. It was a rather adorable sight.

  Despite himself, Long had developed a fondness for the little beast. She had a voracious appetite—requiring two pounds of crickets a day—but her quiet presence was a nice addition that Long hadn’t realized he needed. His housemates, friends and comrades now, were enjoyable company, but sometimes he found their loud presence too much.

  The small yellow-spotted spirit salamander curled back into a ball atop Long’s shoulder, and he smiled contentedly at her. Then he returned to his work.

  30 Thrice Cut Lanterns - Bright Moon Lanterns - 240 Gold Taels – Chen 15 Shangguan Chonglin R 57

  275 lbs of Cinnamon Bark - Golden Phoenix Spices - 82 Gold Taels – Chen 15 Shangguan Chonglin R 57

  100 Child Orphans – Black Curtain Auction House - 30 Gold Taels – Chen 16 Shangguan Chonglin R 57

  Long set his brush down with discomfort upon reaching the last transaction record. One hundred orphans—children, no less—purchased six years ago. Even Long’s usual passive face shifted into an unsettled expression.

  After taking a deep breath, Long picked up the brush and resumed copying the rest of the purchase records. While disturbing, he’d encountered similar hints of questionable activity over the last three weeks of this work. Ultimately, it didn’t matter. Long had to keep searching until he found his true query. Nothing else was relevant.

  An hour later, Long returned to the Administrative Hall’s central atrium to report the completion of the mission. Junior Administrator Guanting sat at the desk beside the Mission Board and greeted Long with familiarity as he approached.

  “Finished, Disciple Wei Long.”

  “Yes. I left the new copies in the appropriate tray for confirmation.”

  “Of course you did,” Junior Administrator Guanting said with a bemused smile. He made a quick annotation on the ledger before him and then extended a hand. “If you’ll just give me your medallion, I can issue your points.”

  Long withdrew his red and black medallion from beneath his robes, but before he could hand it to the Junior Administrator, someone spoke from behind.

  “I can handle the reward, Guanting.”

  Junior Administrator Guanting immediately rose and offered a quick bow. “Greetings, Honored Elder. Of course, as you command.”

  Long turned and saw the familiar figure of Elder Zhuge Aixin, Master of the Administrative Hall, approach. She was a tall woman who appeared to be in her mid-thirties and possessed a slim build made very apparent by how her robes were wrapped tightly around her body. A long, thin blade hung across her back, and she kept her black hair tied into a tight bun that rested behind her head.

  “Greetings, Honored Elder,” Long offered, bowing as well. Xiaolin shifted on his shoulder to avoid falling, but Long had grown used to adjusting his movements to accommodate his spirit beast companion.

  Elder Zhuge Aixin stopped a few feet before Long and smirked at the Outer Sect disciple. “That’s enough. Rise already. Both of you.”

  Long did as requested. He’d come to learn that despite being in charge of all administration and procedures for the entire sect, Elder Zhuge Aixin found most formal acts of respect annoying.

  “Fourth mission this week already,” she commented, holding out her hand. Long gave her his medallion, and she touched it to her own as she continued. “More record copying too. Tell me, Disciple Long, do you enjoy scribal work?” The Elder returned the medallion to Long. “You’re not thinking of following the Dao of Calligraphy, are you?”

  “No, Elder,” Long answered. He returned his medallion beneath his robes.

  “Then what?”

  I can’t tell her my true objective. Long felt discomfort within his soul at just the thought.

  “I find these missions to be a good balance with my work in the Spirit Stables.” That was true enough. After accidentally joining the Spirit Stables when he’d received Xiaolin, he’d traded days between there and here.

  “Not satisfied cleaning pens and feeding dangerous beasts?” Elder Zhuge Aixin teased.

  “I prefer a variety of work, Elder.” Long was too smart to insult the domain of Elder Violet Scarf. She was his official patron, after all.

  “Variety and balance are vital to one’s long-term stability,” Elder Zhuge Aixin conceded. Her attention turned to the Mission Board behind Long. “Will you be taking another mission?”

  “Tomorrow, Elder.” Long offered another bow. “I think it best I retire for the night.”

  “Fair enough.” She turned away but waved a hand as she walked off. “If you decide to leave Elder Violet Scarf’s flock, you’re welcome here.”

  It was only after Elder Zhuge Aixin had left the atrium that Long took his own leave. Night had fallen across the land by the time he departed the Administrative Hall. A full moon hung overhead, providing tranquil illumination.

  Long glanced down at Xiaolin’s sleeping form and gave her head a light pat. Xiaolin let out a content groan but didn’t stir. Still, Long couldn’t help but smile at the sound. Then he looked to the east, not to return to his house on Residence Row, but to travel to the Gate of Wisdom.