The southern path wasn't used often—not by outer disciples, anyway.
It curved along the base of a sheer cliff face, ran behind the old storage caves, and eventually circled toward the inner courtyards that housed alchemists, recordkeepers, and the sect's more mysterious assets. It also happened to pass directly beneath one of the oldest formation arrays in the sect.
"Subtle," Chen Mu muttered. "They're testing if we notice the traps."
Lin Tian adjusted the crate on his back. It was sealed with red twine and stamped with Elder Hu's personal emblem. He hadn't opened it. Yet.
"They're watching from somewhere."
"Oh, guaranteed. I can feel three energy signatures within earshot. One's just weak enough to pretend they aren't."
[+2 BP for recognizing invisible scrutiny.]
Bluff Points: 54 → 56
Lin Tian didn't change his pace. His steps stayed measured, breath controlled. If he looked around now, he'd be confirming the suspicion they wanted.
The crate was heavier than it should've been. Not in weight, but in intent.
There was no danger yet—but there was always danger when power started noticing you.
He arrived at the outer gates of the inner sanctum without being stopped. The guards barely looked up—likely told to pretend he didn't exist. Another outer dog running errands.
Inside, everything was cleaner. Brighter. The roads were polished stone. The windows had colored glass inlays. Even the air smelled like cinnamon and ego.
Chen Mu said, "Reminder: everyone here thinks you're garbage unless you make them money or embarrass them publicly."
"Good to know."
The inner resource clerk—a slim man with neat calligraphy stains and a very unfortunate ponytail—glanced at Lin Tian's delivery scroll and waved him forward.
"Room three," he said. "Senior Disciple Mei is waiting."
"Mei?" Chen Mu whispered. "I've heard that name."
"Problem?"
"Let's find out."
Room Three was a wide chamber lined with calligraphy scrolls and expensive floor mats. The air shimmered faintly with suppression fields—not enough to crush someone, just enough to make them feel inadequate.
Senior Disciple Mei sat cross-legged in the center, her robes a swirl of silver and navy. Her hair was braided with spiritual thread. She did not look up when Lin Tian entered.
"Place the box there," she said.
Lin Tian obeyed.
The moment the box touched the floor, her eyes opened.
Sharp. Calculating.
"Outer Disciple Lin Tian," she said. "You're more interesting than I expected."
"Senior," Lin Tian said, bowing.
"Stand up."
He did.
"You've been causing ripples."
"I've been doing my duties."
"And burning people in the process."
Chen Mu whispered, "You're being recruited. Or baited."
"Do you know what I do here?" she asked.
"No, Senior."
"I find raw material. Refine it. Shape it. Or discard it."
Lin Tian said nothing.
"You've caught attention. Not just Elder Hu's. Not just Guo's. Others."
"I'm honored."
"You shouldn't be."
[+3 BP for unwavering humility under pressure.]
BP: 56 → 59
"I want to make you an offer," she said. "A simple one."
Lin Tian waited.
"You join my training circle. I give you resources, techniques, protection. You answer to me. Not Hu. Not Guo. Not the outer courts."
Chen Mu went completely still.
"That's not just a test," he said. "That's an attempt to isolate you."
Lin Tian asked, "Why me?"
"Because you've survived too long without help. That makes you valuable—or dangerous."
"And if I say no?"
"Then we return to watching."
"Until?"
"Until you fall."
Lin Tian didn't hesitate.
"I appreciate the offer, Senior. But I already have a master."
Mei's smile didn't change, but something behind her eyes went cold.
"Very well. You may go."
As Lin Tian turned, she added, "Next time someone offers you power, don't be so quick to pretend you're above it."
Chen Mu muttered, "You said no. That was the right call. But now she's going to add you to her list."
"I figured."
[+4 BP for rejecting power with style.]
BP: 59 → 63
Back in the outer sect, the hut felt smaller. Tighter.
Lin Tian sat quietly, staring at the scroll she'd handed him—"a gift," she'd called it. He hadn't opened it.
"Burn it?" Chen Mu asked.
"Not yet."
"She's not done with us."
"No one is," Lin Tian said.
That night, the ring pulsed faintly.
Chen Mu floated above Lin Tian as he meditated, watching the Qi move through the newly stabilized circuits. The Mid-stage glow had returned—calm, confident, whole.
And something else shimmered beneath it.
A pattern.
Spiral.
Familiar.
The Fire Refinement Array?
No. This wasn't fire.
It was the start of a key.
Chen Mu whispered, "This isn't just cultivation anymore."
"It's a map."
[+2 BP for interpreting energy as encoded memory.]
BP: 63 → 65
[System Status Panel – Chen Mu (Ring State)]Bluff Points: 65
Soul Strength: 8
Current Vessel: Refined Jade Core Ring (Stabilized)
Abilities: Voice of Authority Lv.1, Soul Tap (1/day), Resonant Presence (Passive)
Manual Access: Beginner Cultivation Manual (Simulated)
Current Objective: Avoid inner sect entanglements
Disciple Status: Qi Initiation – Mid Stage (Stable)
Legacy Flag: Awakening – Hidden Flame Echo (Suppressed)
Known Array: Spiral Fire Refinement (Unstable, Fragmented)