"Someone's coming," Yue Lian's consciousness stirred within Lin Feng's spiritual sea, interrupting his deep meditation.
Lin Feng opened his eyes just as a figure appeared on the path. Two weeks had passed since the quarterly assessment, and his newfound reputation had brought both advantages and unwanted attention. He had retreated to this quiet spot by the stream behind his quarters, seeking solitude, but it seemed even here he couldn't escape notice.
Within his spiritual sea, Yue Lian's consciousness stirred. "Someone's coming," she warned.
Lin Feng opened his eyes just as Disciple Zhang, one of the sect's message runners, appeared on the path.
"Junior Brother Lin," Zhang called out with a respectful bow. "Elder Iron Sword requests your presence in the Hall of Records immediately."
Lin Feng acknowledged the summons with a nod. As Zhang departed, Yue Lian's voice echoed in his mind.
"This is unusual. The Hall of Records is where they keep intelligence on other sects."
"Do you think it's about...?"
"Crimson Fang Sect? Almost certainly," she replied. "Be careful what you reveal."
The Hall of Records stood apart from the main buildings of Azure Cloud Sect, a modest structure with deceptively strong spiritual barriers. Inside, shelves of bamboo scrolls and bound texts lined the walls, each containing carefully gathered information about the cultivation world.
Elder Iron Sword stood before a large table covered with maps and reports. His stern face betrayed no emotion as Lin Feng entered and bowed.
"You summoned me, Elder?"
"Lin Feng." The elder gestured to the documents spread before him. "Three days ago, our scouts reported unusual movement from Crimson Fang Sect. They've dispatched search parties to all neighboring territories."
Lin Feng kept his expression neutral despite the quickening of his heartbeat. "Search parties, Elder?"
"Yes." Iron Sword pointed to markings on the map. "Here, here, and here. Each team consists of at least one inner disciple and several outer disciples. They claim to be hunting a dangerous beast that escaped their beast pavilion."
Within Lin Feng's spiritual sea, Yue Lian remained silent, but he could feel her tension.
"I see," Lin Feng said carefully. "Why have you called me here, Elder?"
Iron Sword's piercing gaze studied Lin Feng. "Your performance in the northern trial grounds was... remarkable. The way you channeled environmental spiritual energy was unlike anything I've seen from a disciple at your level."
He paused, then continued, "Our sect has long had... disagreements with Crimson Fang Sect. Their sudden activity concerns me, especially so close to our territory."
The elder rolled up one of the maps. "I want you to join Senior Sister Su Yuqing on a mission to gather herbs from Misty Valley. It borders Crimson Fang territory. While there, keep your eyes open for any unusual activity."
"Yes, Elder," Lin Feng bowed again. "When do we depart?"
"Tomorrow at dawn. And Lin Feng..." Iron Sword's voice lowered. "Be exceptionally careful. Crimson Fang disciples are known for their ruthlessness."
Back in his quarters, Lin Feng sat on his bed as Yue Lian materialized beside him, her form translucent and glowing faintly in the dim room. Her single tail swished anxiously.
"They're looking for me," she said, her voice tight. "Sooner than I expected."
"Elder Iron Sword suspects something," Lin Feng replied. "The way he looked at me... I think he knows there's more to my abilities than natural talent."
Yue Lian paced the small room, her ethereal form passing through furniture. "Elder Crimson Flame won't give up easily. My tails contain ancient power that he covets."
"You never told me exactly how you escaped," Lin Feng said quietly.
The fox spirit stopped pacing, her golden eyes distant with memory. "I was kept in a special containment formation deep within their sect. For three years, Elder Crimson Flame performed rituals to extract my power, taking my tails one by one."
She turned to face Lin Feng. "Each tail contains a portion of my essence, my spiritual power. With each one he took, I grew weaker, and he grew stronger."
"How did you get away?"
"After he took my eighth tail, there was a moment—just a moment—when the formation weakened. He had grown overconfident." A small, bitter smile crossed her face. "I had been gathering tiny fragments of spiritual energy for months, hiding them deep within my core where he couldn't detect them."
"In that moment of weakness, I unleashed everything I had. It wasn't enough to escape unscathed, but it was enough to break free. I fled, wounded and with barely enough energy to maintain my form."
Lin Feng listened in silence, understanding now why she had been so desperate when they first met.
"If they find me like this," Yue Lian continued, "I won't be able to resist. And you..." She looked at him with genuine concern. "You would be considered a thief of their 'property.' The punishment would be severe."
"Then we won't let them find you," Lin Feng said with determination. "Is there a way to hide your spiritual signature?"
Yue Lian's eyes brightened slightly. "Yes. It's difficult, but possible. I can teach you a technique to create a spiritual veil—a way to mask my presence within your spiritual sea."
"Will it work against high-level cultivators like Elder Crimson Flame?"
"Not directly, no. But it might be enough to confuse their search parties." She moved closer to him. "It requires precise control of spiritual energy—the kind of control you've been developing through my teachings."
Lin Feng nodded. "Then let's begin now. We leave for Misty Valley tomorrow, and we need to be prepared."
Yue Lian placed her translucent paw on Lin Feng's hand. Though he couldn't feel physical touch, he sensed the cool flow of her spiritual energy connecting with his.
"Close your eyes," she instructed. "Imagine your spiritual sea as a vast ocean. Now, visualize a thin layer of mist forming over its surface..."
As night fell over Azure Cloud Sect, Lin Feng sat in deep meditation, learning to weave a veil of concealment around the precious secret he carried within. Outside, in the distant mountains, search parties from Crimson Fang Sect moved methodically through the darkness, hunting for traces of a nine-tailed fox.
The game of hide and seek had begun in earnest.