He said it in the same tone one might use to offer a second helping of rice. Which, considering the context, was ridiculous. Mount Hua wasn't just a sect—it was the sect. The beating heart of the Eastern continent's martial world. And their Elders? Ascendant-rank, minimum. People who could split a mountain or crush a tank with their aura if the mood struck them.
Honorary Elder.
The words hung in the air like a sword over an unwatched head.
I didn't respond immediately, because even I needed a second to recalibrate my expectations of reality. Fortunately, Luna spoke in my mind before I could make a fool of myself.
'It's a good deal,' she said. 'Take it. You need a reason to be here, this gives you one. They're giving you authority without making you bend the knee. Smart move.'
