The air inside the Black Dragon dormitory smelled faintly of oil lamps and the lingering scent of their tired sweat. Outside, Azure City's bustle rose and fell like a tide, but inside, the Black Dragons were finally able to breathe, to exhale after the weight of their first great mission. Crystals and credits lay scattered on the table, a small mountain of gleaming wealth that reflected in Bao Fu's wide, almost manic eyes. He circled the table like a shark smelling blood, his fingers twitching as if he might snatch the coins and crystals before they could even settle.
"Well, well, well!" Bao Fu exclaimed, his voice echoing off the dormitory walls. "Is this real? Are we rich beyond reason, or has someone slipped sleeping powder into my tea again?"
Li Xian's lips curved faintly at his antics. She had been expecting this reaction. "It's real, Bao Fu. One hundred and fifty thousand credits, and three thousand glimmer crystals, just as Elder Hua said. But do not mistake this for something that will last forever. Wealth comes… and storms follow."
"Storms? You sound like a poet, Li Xian!" Bao Fu's grin widened. "Though I would prefer if the storm were only in someone else's face. Preferably the Red Hawk Guild's."
Yan Mei, sitting on the window ledge, flicked a small leaf into the air and caught it with one hand, her face expressionless as ever. "Some storms," she said softly, "come whether you like them or not. Even a guild of hawks can't control everything."
Chen Yuan, folding his arms, leaned back in his chair. "The only storm I care about," he said bluntly, "is the one that hits our enemies. Keep the rest in your heads."
Bao Fu turned on him, mock outrage in his eyes. "You're no fun, Chen Yuan! You're like a walking thundercloud. Always waiting to strike but never laughing."
Chen Yuan didn't respond. That alone was enough for Bao Fu to flounce dramatically to the other side of the room. Lu Mao, quiet as ever, flipped a coin, watching it spin between his fingers. "I think Bao Fu needs to spend some of this fortune on manners," he said calmly, as though suggesting a diet plan rather than offering advice on social behavior.
Li Xian sighed, but her mind was elsewhere. The credits and crystals were only the beginning. They could rebuild the dormitory, strengthen training for the recruits, and replenish the martial library with texts long forgotten or locked behind high-tier permission. Most importantly, she wanted to distribute the glimmer crystals among the team in a way that would enhance cultivation, particularly for Bao Fu and Yan Mei, who had shown great promise but were limited by resources.
"First," she said, her voice firm, "we rebuild this dormitory. Our rooms are barely suitable for proper cultivation, and I intend to change that. Then, the martial library. Books, scrolls, techniques—we will provide our future recruits with every advantage we can. And lastly," her gaze swept across her team, "the glimmer crystals. These will be distributed to enhance cultivation. Everyone benefits, but we must plan carefully. No waste, no foolishness."
Bao Fu jumped to his feet. "Wait! Did you say… glimmer crystals? Are you telling me I can grow stronger while I sit here doing nothing?"
Li Xian raised an eyebrow. "Nothing? I've seen how you sit, Bao Fu. You will need to meditate properly and focus. Cultivation is not a free lunch."
Bao Fu pouted but did not argue further. Yan Mei's lips curved faintly as she nodded. Chen Yuan merely crossed his arms tighter, his usual approval hidden behind stoicism. Lu Mao, still spinning the coin, gave a faint hum, as though satisfied.
Later that night, when the others were still busy dividing tasks and dreaming of their newfound wealth, Lu Mao caught Li Xian's eye. Without a word, he tilted his head toward the door. Curious, she followed him through the hall and up the creaking stairs to the roof of the dormitory.
The night sky stretched above them, stars scattered like jewels across black velvet. Azure City glowed faintly in the distance, lanterns flickering, streets alive with the hum of distant voices. Here, above the world, there was silence.
Lu Mao leaned against the tiles, arms folded, and for once his usual calm carried a weight that made Li Xian pause. "I needed you away from them," he said quietly. "This… is not for their ears."
She frowned slightly. "You're being dramatic. What is it?"
He reached into his robe and produced a small pill. It glimmered faintly, golden-blue light burning like a captured flame. The glow reflected in his eyes, making him look like he carried a piece of the stars themselves.
Li Xian's breath caught. "You… where did you—"
"Amber Viper Sect," Lu Mao cut her off gently. "I didn't tell the others. I won't. But you need to know. I have more than a hundred of these."
Her eyes widened. "A hundred—?!" She stepped closer, lowering her voice as though the night air itself might betray them. "Do you realize what that means? These aren't mere pills, Lu Mao, they're… they're fortune incarnate. Dangerous fortune."
He nodded. "I know. That's why I chose you to know. Yan Mei and I are on the edge of breaking through. With these pills, in a few years we could reach peak Spirit Master. But they can't be exposed recklessly. If the Amber Viper Clan learns the truth…" He let the thought hang, his gaze fixed on the horizon.
Li Xian closed her eyes briefly. The burden was heavy. She could almost feel it settle on her shoulders like a mantle of iron. "So what do you expect me to do with this knowledge?"
"We use it carefully," Lu Mao said. "We don't flood the market. We take them to Elder Hua, one at a time, and exchange them for tales. Tales are universal, safer than crystals or credits. If we play this right, the Black Dragons will have a constant flow of resources, and no one will ever suspect the truth."
She studied him for a long moment. His calm was unshakable, his logic sound, but his eyes betrayed something else—determination sharpened by the edge of desperation. Finally, she nodded. "Fine. We'll play your game. But Lu Mao… secrets like this burn hotter than fire. Don't expect me to carry the ashes if it all turns to smoke."
A faint smile touched his lips. "That's why I told you. You're the only one who can carry it with me."
The stars wheeled silently above them as the two Black Dragons sealed a pact in the night.
Several days later, Li Xian and Lu Mao approached Elder Hua with caution, bringing only a few of the Amber Viper pills. The elder regarded them with calm interest, his eyes narrowing at the sight of the glowing pills. After discussion, they struck a deal: Elder Hua would purchase three pills at a price of 500,000 tales, with a spatial ring provided to conceal the transaction. Lu Mao wore the ring, its subtle weight a reminder of the secret he carried.
The auction was arranged discreetly, yet it drew attention among elite cultivators who had heard whispers of Amber Viper treasures surfacing in the market. When the day arrived, three of the pills were presented, each glowing with the characteristic golden-blue brilliance that marked Amber Viper craftsmanship. Even the elders of the Amber Viper Clan present at the auction were taken aback. These pills were extraordinary—not merely for their refinement, but for the latent power they contained.
One pill was purchased by an elder of the Amber Viper Clan itself, his face carefully blank but his grip on the box too tight to be casual. Another went to the Golden Flame Hall, the strongest branch of the Golden Sparrow Thief Sect. The third was won by Chen Rong, a prodigious disciple of the Dawn Lotus Sect. Whispers filled the hall as the pills vanished into new hands, rumors blooming like fire through dry grass.
Back in the dormitory, the Black Dragons celebrated their success quietly. Bao Fu paced excitedly, counting the tales as though it were a sport. Yan Mei leaned against the wall, a faint smile tugging at her lips. Chen Yuan merely watched, satisfaction hidden behind stoic eyes. Lu Mao, who had orchestrated much of this behind the scenes, kept his smirk subtle, never revealing the full truth of what he carried. And Li Xian… she bore the secret alongside him, the burden of knowledge heavier than any crystal.
And far away, within the inner halls of the Amber Viper Sect, the elder who had purchased the pill returned with his prize. In a private chamber heavy with incense, he placed the pill before a young man whose presence seemed to burn as brightly as the pill itself—Wei Qing, the prodigy of their sect, the one who had devised the very pill that now returned to them.
Wei Qing lifted it carefully. Golden-blue flames danced within the pill's heart, reflecting in his eyes. For a moment, the chamber seemed to vanish. He inhaled, probing it with his spiritual sense. Then he froze.
Impossible.
This pill was… more refined. Its qi flowed smoother, its essence balanced beyond flaw. It surpassed the limits of what he had thought possible—of what he himself had created.
Wei Qing's hand trembled as he stared, golden flames burning ever brighter in his gaze. "This… this shouldn't exist," he whispered. His voice shook, not with fury, but with awe. Shock. Curiosity. A hunger born of seeing something greater than himself.
The flames in his eyes burned as if he had discovered a truth even his genius had not touched.