Chapter 143: Periphery

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A long, winding passage deep beneath the earth connects the Punishment House to the Apothecary. There is no light down there, and the oxygen is so thin it might as well not exist. It is a relic of a different time and a scandalous affair. By the time he became an Elder, it had long since stopped seeing use.

Here he waits for her, wondering whether it would be better if she doesn’t show up at all.

Still, as heedless as to what he wants as always, she appears.

Her mere presence brings light to these dark depths. Though Elder Xue is not using Qi, the darkness cannot hope to hide her radiance.

“You came,” he says, forcing all emotions out of his voice.

“Why so surprised?” she asks. “As Elders, is our word not law? Why should I diminish its value by uttering falsehood?”

Elder Chang, Warden of the Punishment House, scoffs.

“The law is the law,” he says with the tired tone of someone who has repeated the same thing hundreds of times. “The words of the Elders, though often conflated with it, are not law. Whether your words are true or false, they cannot diminish the law’s value. Only yours.”

“Oh?” Elder Xue’s ruby red lips curl into a smile. “And what then, shall we say of an Elder who goes behind his master’s back to meet an enemy? Is he breaking the law?”

Elder Chang levels his flattest stare at her.

“We are not enemies. We are fellow Elders. There is no law forbidding Elders to converse. Thus, no laws are being broken.”

“And yet, we meet in secret.”

“People are petty and bound to be offended at many things not written in the law,” Elder Chang replies. “If you have come here only to mock me, I am afraid you have wasted your time, Elder Xue. You could have done that out in the open.”

A light tut leaves her red lips. “As always, you are no fun at all.”

“The law does not need to entertain.”

“And yet it continuously does.”

Elder Chang takes a deep breath and tells himself there is no sense in getting angry. That is precisely what this damnable woman wants. Always. Always! Trying to make him lose his temper.

“I am here,” Elder Chang says with great patience and doing his best to stare down Elder Xue, “because I have received your message.”

“Are we saying obvious things now?”

Naturally, she is not intimidated in the least.

What does an Emperor have to fear from someone like him? Elders they may be, but the differences in status and power between them could not be more apparent. No matter how heavy his stare grows, Elder Xue’s amused smile does not waver.

“Shall I begin by telling you my name, my dear-?”

“Enough!” He shouts. The victorious glint in Elder Xue’s eyes just further infuriates him. Why is she always like this!? “Is it true? Is what your letter said really true?!”

Xue dared to send one of her butterflies through the secret passage between the Punishment House and the Apothecary. That had been enough to arouse his curiosity. However, the contents of the letter changed that curiosity to urgency. Indeed, were this matter not so important, Elder Chang would not meet Elder Xue like this.

Two Elders from rival factions conversing with each other, whether openly or secretly, will not be viewed well. In fact, Elder Chang risks much by answering Elder Xue’s call. While Elder Xue has repeatedly proven herself to Lord Feng Gui, Elder Chang has not won Lord Feng Shang any victories. Big or small. Should anyone learn of this meeting, they will likely assume Elder Chang is seeking to change sides. A base accusation that makes light of his character, yet one that will gain traction should it be made.

“Very well,” Elder Xue pouts like he had just spoiled a fun game for her. “In deference to your valor, I suppose I shall get to the point. It is just as I explained in my letter. The Internal Force has been able to act freely because the barrier is directly shutting down all bracelets in a given area.”

It is an outrageous idea. Had Elder Xue not suggested it, Elder Change would have never thought of it. For something like that to be possible, the fundamental workings of the barrier surrounding the compound would need to be altered. The punishment for doing that would be immense!

It is far too much risk for such a childish matter!

“This goes beyond the Internal Force,” Elder Xue continues, a frown forming on her face. Even when she frowns, she is exquisite. As expected of someone in the Emperor Realm. “It is highly possible the disabling of the bracelets is just one of many modifications in place. I will go as far as to say the barrier has been altered to temporarily allow someone or something into the Eternal Flame Clan that should not have been here.”

There are not many who are capable of doing what Elder Xue is describing. Not only does it require quite a bit of skill, but only high-ranking members of the Eternal Flame Clan have access to the barrier’s inner workings.

In other words…

“We have a traitor among the Elders,” Elder Xue declares. So heavy are her words the darkness around them becomes more complete and the silence more silent.

“You accuse Elder Dang of treachery?” Elder Chang asks, well aware this could be nothing more than a plot of Elder Xue to turn him against an ally by taking advantage of their disagreements.

To his surprise, Elder Xue gently shakes her head in negative.

“No. He would not do this. To betray the Eternal Flame Clan is impossible for him. The idea alone would be unthinkable.”

“Yet, it is through the actions of the Internal Force that you came to this conclusion,” Elder Chang points out.

“That is another reason why it cannot be him. Do you think Dang would have been foolish enough to give himself away in such a juvenile manner?”

Elder Chang’s silence is enough of an answer. Elder Xue raises a single, elegant eyebrow.

“If he were here, I am sure his feelings would have been hurt just now.”

“If he were here, my answer would not change.”

“That bullheaded honesty of yours is one of the reasons I sought you out,” Elder Xue says. Her smile this time is less teasing and more genuine. “But no, I do not believe Elder Dang modified the barrier. Rather, the actual traitor helped him by giving him access to the modifications. It may very well be that Dang does not understand the significance of the tool he has given the Internal Force. Elder Dang is simply being used as a scapegoat.”

“Who is insulting Dang now?”

“Barriers and talismans have never been his strong suit, and we have all been focused on other matters lately,” Elder Xue says. “Regardless, we have a potential traitor, and I’ll have your help finding out who it is.”

“Oh? Am I not in your list of suspects?”

Elder Xue laughs.

“Oh, dear. No. No. My dear, sweet Bao, you could never be a traitor.”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Despite himself, hearing his name from her lips makes Elder Chang blush like a callow youth, as though the blood flowing through his body weren’t his to control. It is dizzying, confusing, and he hates every second of it. He keeps his mouth shut until he is confident he has complete control of himself once more.

“I will tell you right now I am a poor fit for anything that requires stealth or subterfuge.”

“I need neither from you. I only require that you allow me to interrogate one of your prisoners.”

His eyes narrow with suspicion. “Which one?”

“Cheung.”

The disgraced Elder who had dared to experiment on their disciples.

“You had him to yourself for days,” he says. “Do you expect me to believe you did not interrogate him to your heart’s content?”

“The Apothecary is not as suited towards containing a cultivator of Elder Cheung’s power as the Punishment House. Had I relaxed his restraints, he could have done something idiotic,” she explains with an airy wave of her hand. “I do hate idiotic things.”

Elder Chang crosses his arms. “This is not what you said in the trial.”

“I say a great many things to make myself seem more powerful.”

Shameless.

All Emperors are shameless.

“Even back then, I suspected there was more to Elder Cheung’s activities. However, I did not push my interrogation in that direction during the trial because I did not want to accidentally uncover something that could incriminate those allied with me in front of everyone.”

“I am guessing Dang did the same thing.”

“Naturally, Dang has some sense.”

Elder Chang’s frown deepens. He takes a deep breath and turns away, his mind heavy with thoughts.