The Matriarch doesn’t look at me as I enter the room, her gaze instead looking out the window.

  The three Elders are arrayed around the room. Elder Qiu’s expression is unreadable, but I can see a tension there that makes me worry. Elder Fu glares at me, and Elder Wu’s gaze stays on the Matriarch.

  “Disciple Lin.” The Matriarch says, finally turning to me. Her movements are slow and careful, a tiny bit of blood showing through her robes.

  I hadn’t seen the Matriarch much the last two years. I’d heard rumors that she was still recovering from the fight with the Demon across the portal, but I didn’t realize that she still bled.

  I bow low to the Matriarch, and lower my gaze. “Core Disciple Lin Jia greets Matriarch Hua.”

  “You may rise, Disciple.”

  I do as she says, but keep my gaze lowered. I wish I had Shia here. Her presence is always comforting.

  “Do you have anything to say for yourself?” The Matriarch asks.

  I hesitate, then shake my head.

  “No? You injured a core disciple, two inner disciples, and were about to strike a third before my Elders arrived. That is not something I can easily forgive. I’ll give you one last chance to defend yourself.”

  “I let my anger control me.” I raise my eyes, matching the Matriarch’s gaze.”But I would do it again, they got what they deserved.”

  The Matriarch raises an eyebrow.

  “Core Disciple Fu attempted to poison an opponent-”

  “You dare-!” Elder Fu steps forward, his qi pressuring me. The Matriarch holds up a hand to stop him.

  I gasp for breath as the pressure disappears, but I keep my gaze on the Matriarch. Once my voice comes back to me, I continue, “She threatened to kill the servant who refused to do it. When I intervened, she drew her weapon on me.”

  “You believe these lies?” Elder Fu asks.

  “Elder Fu, my disciple has proven herself to the sect. She has no need to lie.” Elder Qiu’s words come out clipped as she glares at the other Elder.

  “You’ll trust the words of one Core Disciple and a servant over four disciples?” Elder Fu asks the Matriarch.

  The Matriarch observes me for a long quiet moment before she speaks. “Disciple Lin. For the crime of attacking and injuring your fellow disciples, you will be confined to the home of your Elder for one year's time.”

  I bow, recognizing the finality in her words.

  “Elder Fu, I suggest you take your granddaughter with you to the Third Monastery. I believe some time away will give you both some perspective.”

  “Yes Matriarch.” Elder Fu’s words are forced.

  The Matriarch turns back to the window, dismissing us all.

  ***

  Two months quickly pass after the decision of the matriarch. I am in my master’s home, sitting at my desk and staring out the window, when I see one of the outer disciples of the Demon Hunter pavilion running through the rain towards the house. I hum softly as I watch him, knowing that he probably brings news of another cult, or maybe a village has been slaughtered.

  I get off of the table, grabbing my sword and placing it around my waist. I make sure my flute is secure in its pocket.

  Then I wait.

  I don’t have to wait long before a floating piece of paper enters my room, landing on the table in front of me.

  Come, is all it says.

  “Shia.” I call. The snake slithers out from under the bed.

  She crawls up my leg and into my robes, knowing what this means as well as I do.

  I look back at the note. She can send more than one-word notes. I’ve seen her do it before.

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  I turn away from the note and head to the main room of the house, where the outer disciple and Elder Qiu Tai stand over a table. Qiu Tai is reading a document, while the outer disciple looks at me in surprise before turning away.

  I bow to Qiu Tai, “You called for me, Elder?” I ask in my sweetest voice.

  She looks up from the document with a slight frown and I force myself not to smile.

  Qiu Tai sighs, “Your punishment is far from over, but it seems an urgent matter has come up.”

  “What is it?” I ask, trying to get a better look at the parchment in her hands.

  “A request from the Emperor.” All lightheartedness disappears from me as I focus. “He suspects that one of the princes is attempting to summon a demon and has asked for our help in investigating the matter.”

  I frown as I try to remember my knowledge of the imperial court from five years ago. There are plenty of royal family members that come to mind who might attempt to do such a thing.

  “Normally, I would go, but the sect can’t afford to have another Elder outside of the sect until Elder Zhu returns. The others who can sense spirit are working their own missions” Qiu Tai looks me in the eyes. “You grew up with nobles, and I trust your ability to handle the intrigue. Master Meng An and Inner Disciple Xia Jing will accompany you to the capital.” I can’t help the smile that crosses my face at the news.

  I’d expected to stay in the small area of my master’s house for another ten months. Being free now was beyond my hopes.

  Qiu Tai’s frown deepens at my smile. “Once you arrive, you will contact the Master and inner disciples already there, but your group will work separately from them. Listen to Master Meng An and… stay safe.”

  My smile disappears and I bow deeply to Qiu Tai. “Always.”

  “Follow Disciple Han to the others, they should be waiting for you already with the supplies.” She motions to the outer disciple, whose face reddens at my gaze.

  They are already waiting? Then what was she reading when I walked in? I try to catch a glance of the document, but she keeps it out of my sight deftly.

  “Right this way, Core Disciple Lin.”

  I turn my attention to the disciple, who nervously leads me out of the house and into the rain.

  I pause for a moment as I step outside, turning my face up to the sky. The rain on my face is cleansing. I close my eyes, enjoying the moment, before reopening them to follow the patiently waiting outer disciple.

  He offers me his wax umbrella, and I gratefully accept.

  Xia Jing and Master Meng An wait patiently under the sect gate as we approach. I haven’t seen much of Master Meng An since I first came to the sect. He is a wry elderly man, an instructor in weaponry, and has two hook swords at his waist. His weapons are unusual looking to say the least, with the way they curve back in at their ends.

  I bow to the Master Swordsman, he bows back politely. “It is a pleasure to see you again, Disciple Lin. I have heard many stories.”

  “The pleasure is mine. Your presence on this trip brings peace of mind.” I reply, joining them under the gate.

  “I am glad to hear so.” He responds.

  I am about to respond when Xia Jing leaps at me, squeezing me tightly in her arms. I’m still smaller than her, which means she squishes me into her quite easily. “We’re not at the capital yet! You can make time to say hi to your Sister Xia!”

  “Hi Jingjing” I mumble into her robes. I squeeze her back before breaking away. “Are we ready to go then?”

  “We are.” Master Meng An responds. He motions for me to follow, and Xia Jing follows him, her movements surprisingly graceful over the rough ground.

  A small ship floats in the air next to one of the waterfalls, its sails rustling with the wind. I stare up at it with excitement. We board and a team of cultivators work to get the vessel flying through the air.

  A year ago, one of our sect’s craftsmen started producing flying ships for cultivators too low in cultivation to use their own flying devices. I’d gotten the chance to ride in one only once, so I take full advantage of the opportunity to explore the amazing artifact. The amount of inscriptions and arrays inscribed into the ship is amazing in and of itself. Without the guaranteed presence of a cultivator in the Nascent Soul Realm, the ship needs to be able to defend its crew and passengers against an attacking cultivator or Spirit Beast.

  We fly through the sky at a fast pace and after a day of examining the masterpiece of an artifact, I relax by talking with Xia Jing about what she’s been up to for the past year.

  After what happened with the first demon and Doma’s men, Xia Jing was one of the inner disciples who volunteered to search for and map the portals in the empire. Our current count is thirty eight portals, but she suspects that some of the other sects are hiding portals for their own reasons.

  Xia Jing had pulled ahead in cultivation until my recent breakthrough, now matching me in the Ninth Level of Qi Awakening.

  She tells me stories about rogue cultivators, sect conflicts and some of the strange methods of cultivation she’d come across in her journeys. One man even cultivated by brewing and drinking alcohol, the stronger the drink, the more it helped his cultivation.

  I tell her about some of the scarier demons I had seen, like the rotting corpse that sucked the life and cultivation out of people, leaving nothing but husks, or the demon that used its victims body parts to replace its own.

  I tell her of these, but the truly terrifying demons are actually the ones you can’t tell apart from humans. They infiltrate their communities, killing mortals one by one until they have enough power to fight cultivators.

  On the evening of the second day, we finally catch sight of the capital city of the Shi Empire.

  I hadn’t seen the city since I was a child, but it still holds the magical atmosphere it had exuded when I was a child.

  Lamps light up the city and reflect on the water of the ocean. The lights show life, revelry and the hustle of the largest city in the empire. The architecture of the city is masterfully crafted thanks to the Second Emperor, who spent half the royal budget building it into the city it is. Multi story houses, walls filled to the brim with inscriptions, and palaces expertly designed with mortal and cultivator hands.

  Five years. I left the city five years ago, and now I’m returning to it.

  I let a small smile appear on my face at the sight.

  I wonder how Princess Shi Da is doing?