They gathered in the shadow of the Punishment Hall. One initiate, and three disciples. It seemed appropriate, given what they were discussing. The three-story complex had a long row of eaves along the south face. With the building's stone foundation on one side, a dense wall of bamboo along the other, and an overhanging roof overhead, there was little way for the small group to be overheard. With one disciple facing each east and west, even a full daoist would have struggled to eavesdrop upon them without a specialized technique.

  A fifth man approached the furtive foursome. He flared his qi gently as he approached. Sixth stage of qi condensation, past the midpoint of the realm. A power that felt swift as air, sharp as the kiss of the lash. Stronger than any of the other disciples gathered by far. Perhaps even beyond their combined might, in such narrow confines where they would struggle to flank him.

  "This one is Outer Disciple Hao Luoyang." One of the disciples keeping watch greeted politely. "Might I know which senior I am speaking to?"

  "No." The man answered glibly.

  Disciple Hao's expression grew cold.

  "What did it do to you?" He tried again.

  "Nothing." Their senior replied with a smirk.

  "Then why are you here?"

  "I heard it wagered spirit stones with one Yang Wei. They belong to one of you, I assume?"

  "I see. You'll help us recover them. For a percentage."

  "A percentage? No, all of them. And whatever else it carries."

  The four young men exchanged glances. The initiate appeared to be considering the idea, but the three full disciples were united in certainty.

  "No." Disciple Hao firmly. Now that he knew their seniors purpose, he felt far more confident. This close to the punishment hall, none would dare make trouble.

  "Not a chance. We will reclaim our stones personally. If you're not interested in vengeance, you can leave us to ours."

  "Doesn't appear to have worked so well for you the first time. Are you certain you don't want help from a kind senior?"

  "A man must settle his own grudges." Disciple Wu Yingjie said in a bold voice.

  "A man? Can you still claim such a title? I heard it all but shattered your jewels."

  "You dare-"

  "Peace, Brother Wu." Disciple Wang said, cutting the initiate off. Despite his failed breakthrough, he was still the most powerful of the four disciples. "We will manage on our own senior."

  The man snorted coldly.

  "Don't come crying to me later. The price will be higher."

  He turned and left the way he came, whistling a jaunty tune.

  "I suppose that's all we can expect then." Disciple Wang said. "Welcome, brothers. To the first meeting of the Monkey Coat Society."

  "Isn't that name a little... Much?" Disciple Hao said. Sure, he hated the damn thing. He knew failed breakthroughs could have serious consequences, but Disciple Wang had only fallen half a realm. He seemed to have taken the whole matter far more personally. He was almost worried his fellow disciple actually aimed to skin the beast.

  "No. I think it's exactly enough." Wu Yingjie said. "If it hadn't been for the Medical Pavilion, I might never have sired children. And they took the cost of their care out of my allotment! Three spirit stones. Can you imagine?"

  Disciples Wang and Hao turned to stare at the heavyset man. This Wu Yingjie certainly had a valid grievance, but he was beginning to grate on their nerves. He had large mouth for an initiate, let alone one with no backing whose future was already in jeopardy. He quailed under their gazes, remembering they'd collectively lost more than twice that wealth to the monkey.

  "I rather meant it was a little ostentatious for four disciples loitering outside a building. And perhaps a little impolitic, if things get out of hand."

  "I'll work with demons if it means that stupid thing get what's coming to it." Wu Yingjie spat.

  "Don't even joke about that. If Elder Asura's Chains takes exception, you can kiss your spot in the sect goodbye. You'll be lucky to keep your head."

  Wu Yingjie looked around.

  "There's nobody here except us."

  "Initiates." Disciple Hao said with a shake of his head. "Always assume the elders can hear you. Especially standing in the shadow of their domain."

  "But, we're talking about killing it?" Wu Yingjie said. "That's what this whole thing is for."

  "No, you idiot, we're talking about getting revenge for what it's done to us. Beat it bloody. Force it to lead us to the stones it stole. Maybe shave it bald, cut off that orange hair its so proud of. We're not here to kill it, but if the beast goes too far and we're forced to match it? Well, can one really expect better from a wild animal?"

  "Ah, Senior Brother Hao is clever." Wu Yingjie crowed.

  "If you kill it when it can't fight back, don't expect me to cover for your foolishness. And don't even think about calling me brother until either we avenge ourselves, or you make disciple. I wouldn't even be speaking to you if you weren't dedicated to the cause."

  "Yes senior!"

  "Better."

  "Disciple Hao. I appreciate all you've done helping me organize this. I've had to spend all my time stabilizing my cultivation after the backlash of my failed breakthrough." Disciple Wang said. "But who exactly is this? I thought we were trying to get Disciple Yang as our fourth?"

  The fourth man grunted, looking to Disciple Hao to speak.

  "He refused. Most emphatically." Disciple Hao said. "'Only cowards band together to seek vengeance' he said. What a self-righteous cunt. And Disciple Ying is better besides, his skills complement ours perfectly." Disciple Hao crowed.

  "Hah! As if a young master like him has ever needed to seek vengeance personally in his life. I'm sure he just directed his family's retainers to discipline anyone who insulted him."

  "Probably." Disciple Hao agreed. "But enough about the silk-pants. We're here for the monkey. Disciple Ying was a hunter before he joined the sect. He cultivates the Black Arrow's Path, and owes me a favor. He's here to ensure it can't escape us."

  "A technique?"

  "Anything he tags with an arrow, even a graze, he can track. Over stone and water if he must."

  "Perfect." Disciple Wang said with a vicious grin. "I look forward to a fruitful hunt, Brother Ying."

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

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  "That is beyond unacceptable!" Elder Xun's fist slammed down on the table. Despite his restraint, the building shook as of thunder had struck. "Are we a teahouse, to spread our legs for noble coin? How dare they seek to force two great sects to compete for their offspring!"

  Elder Lu leaned back in his chair placidly. This was a familiar routine for the two of them.

  "There is a saying, among the noble clans. The emperor can raise a family to nobility with a word, but not even he can create new land. Any grant of it can only come at the expense of someone else."

  "So what? True, the heavens do not make more land. They don't make more dragon veins either."

  "The veins may not deplete or proliferate, but they do shift. The Azure Heart will not shine forever, not with us mining spirit stones from it. Be it in two hundred years or ten thousand, its light will eventually dim. Twenty thousand square li is a sizeable amount of territory."

  "Worthless grasslands, filled with more peasants to complain about spirit beasts and wandering ghosts." Elder Xun retorted.

  "By that logic, most of the empire is composed of worthless grasslands. But without them, the sect's mountains would have no disciples to teach, or food to feed them. The peasants have their place, as do we."

  "Exactly." Elder Xun said with a smile. "All things have their place beneath the heavens, and this Cao Jiang oversteps his."

  "I do not disagree." Elder Lu conceded. "But his shamelessness doesn't make the offer any less advantageous. That land is worthless now, but we do not need to think on the same timescales as the mortal fireflies. The parcel is situated to benefit from any shifts in the Roaring Vein. It's far from the border, and therefore cheap to defend. It is large enough to be by any measure worth more than a few small concessions for a single disciple."

  "Enough." Sectmaster Ren Yuhan said in a quiet voice.

  The two elders fell silent. Elder Lu began to stroke his wispy white beard, as he waited for a decision. Elder Xun scowled, turning to the scarcely touched food that had been set out for the sect's highest authorities.

  The Director of External Affairs had no doubt that whatever the new sect master decided, he would be dissatisfied with it. The man's practical nature was well known. Still, he would abide by it. He had made his own bid for the seat and been soundly defeated. It would be decades before he grew enough to consider another attempt.

  "We will split the difference." The sect master continued. "He will be offered the allotment of an inner disciple, despite his mediocre talent. It will be rescinded if he does not achieve the rank in truth within a decade. But there will not be a whisper of the title before then, not from us or them. If that is not good enough for the Cao Family, let them send the boy to the Reaping Wind Sect."

  "Thank you, sect master. I am certain we will all see the wisdom of this decision a century from now." Elder Lu said.

  "You will make time to tutor the boy. I expect no complaints from his father. If he pays for an inner disciple, he will receive one. However hard the boy must be pushed."

  Elder Lu frowned.

  "My schedule is not so empty. The work of Internal Affairs never ceases."

  "Find the time. Or delegate, just see that it is done properly. If you want the benefits, you will deal with the responsibility." The sect master commanded in a dry voice. "I am not unsympathetic to Elder Xun's complaints. If we are to bend our rules for profit, there cannot be room for scandal of any sort. Impropriety is inescapable in civilized society. The appearance of it, far more damning."

  Elder Xun snorted.

  "At this rate, the clans will be arranging marriages for us in a few decades."

  "I wouldn't mind that." Elder Lu said with a laugh. "Some pretty young third daughter? It's not something I would rule out, if it brought benefits to the sect."

  "Ah, spoken like a man who hasn't been with a woman for a hundred years. It's always one thing after another. They'll expect you to visit every new year and birthday. Your wife will guilt you about her lacking lifespan, expecting you to assist her cultivation. And that's to say nothing of the awkwardness of having a father in law half your age constantly asking for help at court."

  "Ever the short term view, Elder Xun. In a hundred years, her parents would likely be dead. The younger generation would find themselves deferring to their dear aunt and uncle, instead of the other way around. A few interruptions in my cultivation would be a small price to suborn one of the great clans."

  "Are you two quite finished?" The sect master asked. "The rising influence of the clans is the emperor's problem. Ours is not the throne they cannot help but covet."

  "We are, Sect Master Ren. Internal Affairs has nothing more to report." Elder Lu leaned forward, steepling his hands. "Brother Xun?"

  "The front is quiet. Two outer disciples advanced in battle. One was crippled. The Ravens haven't fielded a core formation cultivator in almost a year now. Their emissary continues to bluster about keeping the border where it is, but Daoist Thousand Eyes has reported that their internal struggles have reached a tipping point. We could probably take the entire vale in a week if we fielded a few elders of our own."

  "Leave it." The sect master ordered. "The emperor has communicated that actually taking the Thousand Poison Vale is not a priority at this time. Let it continue to serve to sharpen the younger generation. Extend my congratulations to Daoist Thousand Eyes when he next reports in. Tell him to prolong the succession struggle as long as is tenable. He will be allowed to take any single item from the first three floors of the Treasure Pavilion when he returns. If nothing is suitable, we will commission something from Daoist Enduring Oath."

  "I hear and obey." Elder Xun said, inclining his head. A pity. He'd hoped to to finally pass responsibility for that wretched place over to Internal Affairs. The White Raven Sect was responsible for far fewer of their losses than the horrifically dangerous wildlife.

  The sect master turned his attention to the rest of the table. Elders and daoists alike stiffened as his eyes passed over them. Sect Master Ren Yuhan did not have the most imposing stature. He was not tall, nor even especially handsome. His hairless chin and genial expression left his face looking far younger than his two hundred and fifty years. His spiritual cultivation was not advanced enough for his mere gaze to suppress the assembled pillars of the sect, merely at the second stage of core formation.

  But the way the veins beneath his jade-white skin shined with the same azure light that was the namesake of their sect; flashing in time with the slow beats of a heart as much crystal as it was flesh. That had a way of reminding his juniors why exactly his word was law on the Azure Mountain.

  That, and the saber propped up against the wall behind his chair. The saber that had carved a new ravine along the northern side of the mountain during his duel against Elder Xun seven years ago.

  "Is there anything else?" He asked mildly. This had already been a relatively short session, but he saw no reason to allow Elders Xun and Lu to pad it out further with their banter.

  "There is one other issue." Elder Weeping Lotus said.

  "Oh? What plagues the Medical Pavilion?"

  "It is our problem only in the indirect way that all of your messes inevitably become the Medical Pavilion's problem." The stern woman answered. "Outer Disciple Wang Shui reported to the pavilion last week, suffering from a qi deviation following a failed breakthrough to the fourth stage. Two days ago, Initiate Wu Yingjie was carried in with a most grievous injury to his masculine treasure. These incidents had something in common. A certain monkey."

  Ren Yuhan leaned forward in his chair.

  "A careless outer disciple and an initiate? In what world does such a pair require my attention? It sounds like its doing us a favor, weeding out the weak. Just have a senior outer disciple kill the animal, if it's truly necessary."

  Elder Weeping Lotus frowned.

  "That's the problem. Its master is hiding behind the law, claiming it's a disciple."

  "Elder Lu?" The Sect Master prompted. As amusing as the idea was, he did have cultivation to get back to. He'd only been Sect Master for a decade, and already he was looking forward covetously to the day he would be able to set the mantle aside and devote all his efforts to cultivation again. Truly, the patriarch had shown great wisdom in establishing sect master as a separate office, rather than keeping final authority for himself as many sects did.

  "You remember the Zhang incident? It's Daoist Scouring Medicine throwing a tantrum. He's picked up a monkey from somewhere and declared it a disciple. By the letter of the law, he's not wrong. There's a carve out in imperial code explicitly granting spirit beasts the right to be claimed as disciples, a holdover from the heyday of the old Bai Clan. I have plans in motion to punish the master for his behavior, but my hands are tied dealing with the monkey. At least until it inevitably oversteps its bounds and actually breaks the rules. It is a wild animal after all, disciples account it as possessing the intelligence of a trained dog."

  "Punishment Hall has no grounds to intervene?"

  "That is correct." Elder Asura's Chains said, not even opening his eyes. "Ignorant of the rules, it still keeps to them."

  "Very well. Handle it quickly and cleanly, Elder Lu." Sect Master Ren said. "I am disappointed this matter rose to the point of reaching my ears. This of all years, we have no room for distractions or scandal."

  "It's true then?" Elder Xun asked, turning away from his food.

  "Yes, it's true. My contacts in court say if anything, the rumors understate the matter. The Seventh Prince has the pattern of a dragon and the bearing of a phoenix. The greatest cultivation talent the imperial family has produced in generations. Filial and wise for his age as well, one of the emperor's personal favorites despite his mother's lacking status. A clear candidate for succession. A grand tour has already been scheduled. And his affinity is a perfect match for us, among all the great sects."

  "It would be a great honor, to teach a future emperor." Elder Weeping Lotus said.

  "That title is in the hands of fate. But even as an archduke, I have no doubt he will remember his teachers. I will handle the court and his mother's clan. All of you simply need to ensure that his time at the Azure Mountain makes it clear what the correct choice of sect is."