Beware Of Chicken

Book 6: Chapter 49: Watching it Grow

“Thank you again, Senior Disciple Lu Ri. Are you headed back to your post?” she asked him as her team watched the Elders and the audience congregate in groups before slowly moving towards the exits.

Lu Ri put on his hat and gave her a nod. “I will resume my northern vigil,” he said, loud enough that the Elders could hear him… and draw their own conclusions about what he meant, though it was the truth. “Good day, Grand Marshal.”

With that, he turned and left. The Elders watched him go silently. He strode from the Earthly Arena, his coat billowing around him as he set off for his next duty, a true cultivator.

Things had gone as well as Xiulan could have expected as they closed down the official meeting; now, came the real work. Tigu, Delun, Loud Boy, Rags, Yin, and the Torrent Rider set about gathering the Younger Generation, carefully sliding them back into the roles that they had joined, with the Blazing Swords, the White Tigers, the Masons, and Rags’ burgeoning information network. Bai Huizhong staggered off with Bao Wen to the town beyond, his face still pale.

Xiulan herself went to her office, after Xianghua clapped her on the shoulder, giving her a little smile.

She didn’t have to wait long for the first knock at the door, with her assistant Sarnai of the Ravine escorting in Elder Chen of the Framed Sun Sect, the first of many.

Truth be told, this was where most of the actual work got done, with Elders approaching in ones and twos to ask her questions they hadnʼt felt comfortable discussing earlier.

There were quiet questions about what she thought of Jin’s intent, of the Cloudy Sword Sect’s intent, and always the last one. What would they do if the Demonic forces came again in the future?

She answered each question as truthfully as she could. Jin would stay up north for the most part; the Cloudy Sword Sect would largely be in the Sea of Snow for the duration of their time, and the final question…

“I saw how strong they were, but in the end they were not unbeatable. I have seen it. You can see it. We’re all growing stronger. All we need is time. Time we are now afforded. With the wisdom of our Ancestors and the path we are on… it is my belief that in less than fifty years we could give a good accounting of ourselves. In one hundred, we will meet them directly,” Xiulan swore. “It will take work, but we will not fear the darkness. We know whatʼs out there—and if they return, the Azure Banner will fly over their graves.”
Her words were heeded. Her conviction was clear to the Elders… and now they had an enemy to think of. There was an undercurrent of fear, but it was tempered. To the Azure Hills, the Demons had been a distant, abstract threat. Nothing ever happened in their corner of the world; they were so weak even the Great Enemy avoided them.

Now, they were a target.

The myth of their unimportance had been shattered.

The demons had come for their forefathers and been driven back when they had stood together. Would their children tarnish their legacy? Would they let down their ancestors by failing?

The answer, Xiulan hoped, would be no. They would not be found wanting. And judging by the looks in the Elders’ eyes when they left, her conviction, and the respect the Cloudy Sword Sect had for her, they seemed to start to believe too.

It was a horrible thing to think, but in a way… it was almost beneficial that the Demons had attacked Jin’s home; they had failed, and now the cultivators of the Azure Hills were galvanized.

Framing for each Elder the path ahead and convincing them that the alliance was the path forward was necessary. However, that didn’t stop all the meetings from being utterly exhausting. She expected to meet with all of the Sect Masters save for her father and Xianghua.

The Grand Ravine, surprisingly, had waited until the end rather than push forward to the forefront as she had expected.

They were served tea by Sarnai, Baatar’s granddaughter, and Xiulan’s aide. Butter tea, which Xiulan had developed a taste for. Sarnai brewing the tea gave Xiulan time to gather some of her distracted thoughts, and the final product was just as delicious as Xiulan remembered.

“Thank you, Sarnai,” she said. The other woman bowed and retreated. Xiulan sat up straighter. “How may I help you, Patriarch Baatar?”