Great General Xing liked to keep his office a place of peace and simplicity. This was his little slice of the world, well-ordered and separate from the nonsense without. Today, however, it was unusually crowded.

  His favorite table had been pushed into the corner, to make room for the examination taking place in the center of the room. General Xing watched from his desk, while his favored lieutenant- and granddaughter- observed from a seat along the opposite wall. Her husband sat next to her, transfixed by the proceedings.

  Under these watchful eyes, one of the Empire’s greatest spiritual healers worked. Not the Royal Physician, for he was sworn to serve the royal family alone; this was a true VIP, Yulong Lin Fa, Core Disciple of the Sect of the Imperial Household, the Emperor’s own sister. She’d answered Xing’s call without hesitation. In spite, or perhaps because of her lofty position, she stood as one of his staunchest allies.

  Her patient endured the prodding and questions with a stoic air. He didn’t particularly look like anything; he sort of had a mustache, his hair existed, his back was sort of straight, he certainly had two eyes… people tended to forget the man the moment they could no longer see him. It was a vital trait for one who bore a thousand names, half of which were in use at a given time. He operated in the Palace as the scribe and nondescript family man Zhong Wei.

  Lin Fa finally finished her examination. She turned her attention back to the Great General. “His dantian is stable, and his meridians are strong and well-developed. I see much potential for future growth. His affinity is not yet clear, but I would assume he spent years honing his flesh for Awakening,” she concluded. Her face betrayed the lightest hint of consternation, as though she were silently asking, ‘Why call me here just for this?’

  For most, even the faintest hint of disapproval from this woman felt like a dagger through the heart. Porcelain skin, raven-black hair, the signature sapphire eyes of the Imperial Household… she was the classical image of a ‘jade beauty.’

  The Great General held himself immune to such things. He gestured to the patient. “Tell me, Your Grace, do you recognize this man?”

  She looked down to him again, as if to double-check. “With all due respect, I have never seen a less recognizable human being in my entire life.” Before she could turn away, realization struck. She darted forward and took a longer, more detailed look into the man’s eyes. “Wait. This couldn’t possibly be… Wei?”

  Zhong Wei, a man of fifty-two who could now pass for thirty, gave her a wry smile. “It is an honor to again bear witness to your beauty, Your Grace.”

  After a moment of shock, Lin Fa recovered and checked her patient’s vitals a second time. “He’s really Awakened. At his age… and you told me he had no talent for it.”

  Indeed, Zhong Wei had managed to shamble into his fifties… but it had been increasingly clear he would go no further. Only months ago, the apothecaries had handed him a lung cancer diagnosis, likely borne from his work in dens of iniquity. Panaceas mixed for cultivators would kill a mortal, while medicines mixed to be gentle enough for mortal use were ineffective against cancers.

  Attempts had been made to prompt the man into the Path of cultivation, but it was no use. He was brighter than a star and sharper than obsidian, but he simply possessed no potential for cultivation. It seemed to be the Heavens’ will that Great General Xing would lose his chief spymaster just when he was most needed.

  Then, the Imperial Household’s Elder reached out.

  The Hallowed Rift affair had gone even better than Xing had hoped. Better than he could have imagined.

  The General reached beneath his desk and drew out a small, tidy box, laying it out for all to see. “Your Grace. Do you know what is in this box? It’s only been two weeks, but there have been stories floating about the Palace, I’m sure.”

  Lin Fa turned her full attention to the object. “Provincial rumors. Such a thing couldn’t be…” Nevertheless, she approached the desk.

  Xing opened the lid and handed her one of the tiny, jewel-like bottles contained within. With eyes sparkling like the Eastern sea, the high royal turned it around and examined it from every angle. “And you think… he really made this?” she asked.

  “The Elder himself has confirmed it beyond doubt… and now the Army can attest to its potency. Our little genius has been busy, indeed.”

  With some hesitation, Lin Fa returned the bottle to its place. “What could this mean?” The words came out in a whisper, as though they had escaped of their own accord.

  If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

  Without missing a beat, Xing passed the question to his current work-in-progress. “Quite the thing, isn’t it? Grandson!”

  Zhang snapped to attention with the discipline of a lifetime soldier. He bolted to his feet in an instant and performed a crisp martial salute. “Yes, Great General!”

  “You spent most of your life in the Divine Arrow Sect. Tell me, what do you suppose they would make of this medicine? We’re all war-hounds or born to the Household Sect, your perspective would be appreciated.”

  Zhang stopped short, and for the briefest of moments he sought Lin Fa’s eyes for approval to speak. This proved to be a mistake, as even the leading edge of her attention made him blush and turn away.

  Xing noted the blank look on his granddaughter’s face as this transpired. Not one ounce of jealousy or even consternation… honestly, if Xing himself hadn’t ordained that they be joined at the hip, the couple would never interact at all. They had all the sizzling chemistry of a wet rag on a clean tile floor.

  Finally, Zhang found his voice, though he still kept his face downcast. “The Divine Arrow is a righteous Sect, and not given to mindless violence. But… I recall many who would spill an ocean of blood for that box and its contents.”

  Lin Fa returned her attention to the medicine on the desk. “Its effects may be miraculous, but why would they desire it so?”

  Again, he displayed some hesitation, but he forged on admirably. “Because if it works on a man of fifty, it will work on a boy of five. The guarantee of a once-in-a-generation prodigy for their bloodline… and that’s not to mention the mortal nobility. Wave this box under their noses, and you would have their unquestioning loyalty in perpetuity. This is leverage beyond the threat of force. This is hope.” He found his confidence again by the end. The man certainly had mettle, which came out at the oddest times.

  The room fell silent in the wake of this declaration as the General let the words hang in the air. Just as he prepared to speak again, an unexpected voice rose from the center of the office. “With respect, great ones, may I offer my own humble perspective?”

  All eyes snapped to Wei. Even Xing had managed to forget that he was still in the room… another of Wei’s many talents. He went on, knowing that he would have his employer’s implicit permission.

  “I’m no expert in cultivation… but that’s just the thing, isn’t it? I understand there is a spiritual aspect to Awakening and Ascension, and I’ve never been much of a spiritual man. If this alchemist can trigger the former via medicine alone, why not the latter? What bottleneck could be more challenging than those limitations holding me back?” His tone remained level, even friendly, as though he merely made conversation.

  The implications hadn’t actually occurred to Xing, and judging by the look on her face the same applied to Lin Fa. Her eyes widened and then lost focus as she considered it. Perhaps this matter went well beyond the preservation of the First Prince and the prevention of war.

  Zhang, too, appeared stricken by the possibility. He’d had difficulty cultivating, after the damage he’d done to his own core. Perhaps this hope of his had just grown a few sizes larger.

  The Great General recovered first. “Convenient, then, that this alchemist will be coming directly to us in just under a year. I suppose our only recourse is to ensure that he works with the Household exclusively.”

  Lin Fa regained her bearing, glancing about the room as though she might see the ears on and in the walls. She clearly had more to say… but only the Hidden Arena and the high royals’ private meditation chambers were free from the threat of observation. The Emperor was an oblivious idiot, sure, but not all of the court had thrown in with Xing, Lin Fa, and the Empress… not yet. The Elder, for one, likely stood against them. They still had to keep the clandestine meetings to a minimum.

  “Yes,” Lin Fa agreed, with utmost care. “It’s clear that we must make this our highest priority.” She would have, either way. ‘Auntie Ling’ now had solid ground from which to advocate, and she wouldn’t let that chance slip by.

  The meeting ended there. The Core Disciples had many draws on their attention, meaning Lin Fa had other duties to attend to. Wei had to be instructed in the ways of the Outer Disciples, and this could be left in the hands of Mantian and her husband.

  With his sanctuary again to himself, the Great General could relax a little. Only a little. He withdrew a sheet of paper, and began the work of drafting a report to dear Elder Cai Fu. The Serum of Awakening worked as advertised, and Xing made sure to include certain embellishments for effect. Zhong Wei’s own analysis may have been from a layman to the field of cultivation, but it would surely tantalize even the Elder.

  The next few weeks would be interesting. Wei had another major asset: his daughter was widely regarded as the Palace’s foremost gossip-monger. How much of this discussion would he feed to her, and by extension the general public? How soon would every ninny in the place be jabbering nonstop about the Prince’s accomplishments?

  One thing was certain: the Rosegold Paragon’s plans were coming together. She would be pleased by these developments, though Xing endured a momentary shiver at the thought of her. She, too, would want a report.

  The Great General spared a thought for her son, born unwilling and unaware into this mire... and somehow managing to set the whole thing on fire singlehandedly. “Gods speed you, boy. For your own sake, and ours,” he said, to no one in particular.