Chương 9

The Divine Gale Sect compound was massive. As Chao Wei led him through the main gate into the outer disciples' courtyard, he looked up at a statue of their Patriarch, a young man with closely cropped hair and crisply tailored robes. Lodin thought his face was a bit boyish for a Patriarch, but a cultivator at that stage of power could present themselves however they wished.

"Han Yuan," said Chao Wei, as they walked by the statue.

"Second Patriarch of the Divine Gale Sect."

"Second?" He nodded.

"Jin Shenlei was the first, the founder of the sect. He has since ascended to divinity." Lodin scratched his head. He was about to ask, Where's his statue then? But then he noticed the statue of Han Yuan looked a lot fresher, newer than the pedestal it stood on. Did they replace the founder's statue with his? Why not put them side by side? Odd. But he didn't want to pry. The Divine Gale Sect had separate banquet halls for the outer disciples, inner disciples and elders.

Tonight Lodin and Chao Wei found themselves dining with the inner disciples. Lanterns hung from the rafters and cast warm light across a spread that could have fed a village. Roasted duck, whole fish in ginger sauce, platters of greens in garlic oil, bowls of rice that steamed in the amber glow. The smell hit Lodin before the sight did, jasmine tea and fire grilled fish and a dozen spices that tangled together in the warm air. His stomach growled before he reached his seat.

He sat at the sect's long lacquered table, flanked by disciples in blue and black. Chao Wei occupied the seat to his left, in honor of his sudden advancement, and the disciples nearest to him kept glancing sideways as if they could not square the man who left the compound at Foundation Building with the one who had come back. A man sat at the end of the table, his robes finer than his peers, a clear statement of rank. Lodin had a look at his registry badge.

– Yi Dian Realm: Principle Comprehension, 5th Stage Affiliation: Divine Gale Sect Rank: Chief Inner Disciple – Chief Inner Disciple Dian was tall and fair-skinned, with long white hair that spilled past his shoulders and blue eyes that never seemed to blink. His presence filled the room like still water, calm and deep. The man sitting to Dian's right had a different weight to his presence, his was heavy and oppressive.

He was solid through the chest and shoulders, with a strong chin and a bald head that gleamed in the lantern light. – Tong Lau Realm: Stream Entry, 3rd Stage Affiliation: Divine Gale Sect Rank: Inner Disciple, 3rd Band – The other inner disciples sat in clusters along the table's length. Chopsticks moved in careful silence. Eyes flicked between them and the outlander and back to their plates. Dian lifted his cup of wine but did not drink, and Lodin felt the pressure of his gaze as it fixed upon him.

"Your registry badge says Qi Condensation," he said.

"But I sense no qi in your body or aura. Your presence feels mundane." He set the cup down without a sip.

"Yet you have defeated two Foundation Building cultivators, engaged a third, and in the course of that battle you inspired his advancement to Core Formation realm. I find myself curious as to how such a thing is possible." Lodin picked up a slice of duck with his chopsticks. He chewed, swallowed, and a sheepish grin spread across his face.

"This is damn good roast duck," he said.

"The ginger and garlic balanced just right, and the five-spice powder isn't overpowering. Your cook knows what he's about." Dian's eyes widened a fraction, as if surprised at the audacity with which Lodin ducked the question. Then the corner of his mouth curled upward, and something like amusement flickered across his face. Lau did not share his amusement.

"You owe this sect for the damage done to our disciples," he said. His voice landed flat and hard, like a mallet on stone. The weight of his presence bore down, and the temperature in the hall seemed to drop. Lodin met his gaze.

"Your disciples were abusing a mortal merchant. I smacked them around to teach them a lesson." He shrugged.

"You should be thanking me."

"They broke no laws. They are cultivators, they have the right to treat lesser beings as they wish." Lodin's eyes went cold.

"Ah. So you're a dog-kicker too. A real tough guy." Silence fell across the table. The muscles in Tong Lau's neck went taut, and his hands curled into fists against the lacquered wood. His presence flared, oppressive and powerful, and the disciples nearest to him flinched. Next to Lodin, Chao Wei's face darkened as well. He sat with it for a moment, his brow furrowed, his chopsticks still in his hand. Then he set them down, and turned his attention to Lodin. Royal Road is the home of this novel.

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"Do you not think the natural hierarchy exists for a reason, sir Lodin?" Wei said.

"Strength and weakness are facts of nature. The tiger devours the deer, never does the deer devour the tiger. We may call it unfair, but our feelings on the matter are of no consequence in the face of reality." Lodin picked up a slice of duck and chewed it.

"We're not tigers or deers though," he said, with a cheekful of food. The plates around Lau's fist jumped as he smacked it on the table.

"The weak deserve their lot. Freedom is won with strength."

"Lemme guess. You were weak once, and today you're strong. So you get to be the bully now." Lau's eyes narrowed. His jaw clenched.

"I owe you no explanation, barbarian. You may have beaten two outer disciples. But before you leave this compound you shall face me, and we will see what your principles are worth." Lodin grinned. Then the doors of the banquet hall swung open. An outer disciple hurried through with his head bowed. He crossed to Yi Dian and bent close to whisper in his ear. Dian's expression shifted. The amusement faded from his eyes.

He listened, gave a small nod at the end of the message, and as the outer disciple hurried out of the dining hall the Elder fixed his attention on Lodin.

"Tell me," Dian said to Lodin.

"Why was Somchai Lek on that list of yours?" The question shifted the energy in the room, and heads turned along the table. Lau's anger stilled, like fire under a steel cover. The inner disciples exchanged glances. Lodin set down his chopsticks. He considered the room, the ears, the eyes, the mouths that would carry any word he spoke to places he could not predict.

"Probably better to talk about that in private." Yi Dian studied him for a moment. Then he pushed back from the table and rose to his feet.

"Let us take a walk along the compound wall," he said.

"We shall not be disturbed." Lodin took a look around, nodded, and stood. On his way he reached across the table and plucked a skewer of roast duck from a platter, the meat glazed red with chili oil, then he followed Dian toward the door and took a bite as he walked. The night air was cool against his skin after the warmth of the banquet hall. Lodin followed Yi Dian up a flight of stone steps and onto the compound wall. The view opened before him, and he stopped mid-stride.

Dragon's Rest sprawled below in every direction, vast beyond what he had prepared himself for. Saltside descended the hill in tiers of homes, shops, warehouses and sailor bars, down to the docks where ships rode at anchor, their lanterns scattered across the dark water like fallen stars.

Beyond the harbor district, the hilly central part of the city called Thousand Bridges spread in a maze of canals and stacked tenements, lights in every window, footbridges at every level that caught the moonlight on their stone rails. Far to the right, the Terraces climbed toward Tianlong Castle, mansions and gardens where the wealthy lived close to power.

The western city wall curved along the distant horizon, a wall which was alleged to have been built atop the spine of the dragon Wandering Flame, the namesake of the city itself. And behind them, Anviltown rose into the foothills of Iron Mountain, its forges red against the dark slopes, pinpricks of fire that never went out. Lodin's breath left him. There was no such thing as a city this grand in all of Jotunheim. Or Joguo, as the Imperials called it. Millions of souls lived here.

His brother was somewhere among them. Dian walked with his hands behind him, his stride even and measured. Lodin fell into step beside him and bit into the duck skewer. As they walked together in silence, paper lanterns lit their path, swayed on wooden posts along the rampart, their amber light warm on the stone.

"Somchai Lek," Dian said.

"Why does your list contain his name?"

"You aren't going to like it."

"Nevertheless, I ask."

"Well… It's a list of demonic cultivators in Dragon's Rest."

"And why would a man of Joguo carry a list of suspected demonic cultivators in Dragon's Rest?" Their footsteps echoed on the stone. Lodin bit into his skewer and chewed, weighed his answer. The Chief Inner Disciple was polite, at least. Perhaps he had earned some honesty.

"I think they have my brother, Lorn."

"He is here in the city?"

"Somewhere." Lodin looked out over the rooftops of Saltside, toward the harbor and the dark water beyond.

"They took him a few months ago. It took that long for me to get here by boat." Dian's eyebrow rose.

"That suggests your brother arrived here by some faster route." Lodin took a slow breath and, for a moment, closed his eyes. His lips pursed in a frown, as the unpleasant memory of it came to the surface.

"It was like a ring of flames around a pool of water. On one side was us. On the other, it was this city. Lorn was... He looked like he'd been possessed. His aura was different. His eyes were on fire. I called out to him and he looked back at me. Well, whatever was in control of him looked at me. It wasn't him. It smiled and stepped through, and the portal closed."

"How did you know he'd come here?"

"Through the portal I saw a giant dragon's skull at the center of a garden, in what looked like a castle courtyard. I didn't recognize it. But I described it to my teacher, and he knew right away." Both of Dian's eyebrows rose at that. He said nothing for a long moment. Dian walked in silence for a few paces.

"So your brother was possessed by a demon, and you suspect demonic cultivators. But why would they want him?" Lodin chewed, swallowed. Considered how much to say.

"Earlier tonight you asked me about my cultivation. How a Qi Condensation cultivator could do what I do." Dian gave him a dry look.

"And you complimented my duck." Lodin took a breath.

"My brother and I are twins. We were born with an unusual condition. All of my Gates are fully closed, and all of his Gates are fully open." Dian stopped walking. He turned to face Lodin, and for a moment the composed Elder looked shaken to his roots.

"All Gates closed," he said.

"And all Gates open. In twins." He shook his head.

"I have never heard of such a thing. The odds of it are inconceivable." Lodin gave him a sad smile.

"Lucky, right. When we were kids, Lorn couldn't hold his head up on his own. Could barely lift his hand up off the arm of his chair. It was only when our mom sent us to train in cultivation that things got better for him."

"I see. Of course. With no power in the Seals, the body would be essentially inert. But the Gates..." Dian's voice trailed off.

"The potential power of such a cultivator would be..." Lodin's wry look lingered. He let the Elder's words hang in the air.

"Yeah." They walked in silence for a moment.

"You must show me this list of yours," Dian asked. Lodin's stomach lurched a little. He'd hoped he wouldn't ask.

"Why?"

"I have, or had, a demonic cultivator in my sect. Perhaps the infestation has spread." Dian's eyes were steady.

"Surely you understand why I would want to know."

"I do. But don't ask where I got it, or go around telling people I have it."

"Simple enough." Lodin smirked as Master Yan's voice came back to him. The essence of honor is reciprocity. Thus far Yi Dian had been hospitable, polite and forthright. He couldn't have said the same for his pal Lau. But there was no way to know what the potential consequences would be if he let Dian look at the list. Maybe he would see the names of friends there. Maybe he would take steps to protect their honor. Or he could be a valuable ally.

He could help Lodin spot the names of cultivators who might know Lorn's whereabouts. Instinct would have to be his guide. Lodin fixed Dian with an intent look, which the the Chief Inner Disciple answered with an amused smile.

"Why do I sense that my trustworthiness is being judged just now," he said. Lodin chuckled.

"Alright. Yeah, you can see it. I could use the help." Dian gave Lodin a slight bow.

"Thank you." Then he turned to look out over the sprawl of the city of Dragon's Rest.

"Somchai Lek has fled this compound," he said.

"I suppose he's returned to his accomplices. Which means those demonic cultivators you're looking for may very well be looking for you now." Lodin gave a small nod. He too was looking out at the cityscape.

"That'd simplify things." Yi Dian gave him a sidelong smile.

"Before you deal with all that, you have to get through Lau. Yet here you stand, undaunted by any of it. Chin up, no tremble in the knees. You haven't even pissed yourself." Lodin looked at Dian, and the smile on his face faltered at the steel in Lodin's gaze.

"I'll flatten this whole city if that's what it takes."