The dream lingered.
Wang Ben woke to morning light with the taste of winter still on his tongue, the memory of ancient cold fading like mist in sunlight. He lay still for a moment, cataloging the sensation. The vast white expanse. The voice that spoke of preservation. The eyes like distant stars.
[DREAM ANALYSIS: Pattern continues from previous night]
[Note: Recurring imagery may indicate deeper significance]
[Recommendation: Continue monitoring]
He pushed the dream aside. Whatever message his subconscious was trying to send, it would have to wait. The day had more immediate concerns.
His body hummed with familiar pressure as he rose and dressed. The Body Tempering Pill was still working its way through his system, each absorbed fraction making him stronger. He could feel the advancement approaching now, a tension in his muscles and bones that spoke of imminent breakthrough.
[STATUS UPDATE]
[Body Tempering Pill absorption: 25.1%]
[Physical enhancement: +41% baseline]
[Note: Breakthrough to Stage 7 imminent. Estimated timeline: 12-36 hours]
One day. Maybe less. Wang Ben flexed his hands, feeling the power coiled beneath his skin. Late-stage body refinement would be another step forward. Not enough to change his circumstances dramatically, but enough to matter.
Every increment mattered.
The morning brought a request from his father.
"I need someone to meet with Zhao Daniu's contact," Wang Tian said over breakfast. His expression was neutral, but Wang Ben could see the calculation behind it. "A merchant in the eastern market. He's agreed to supply alchemy ingredients through... alternative channels."
"Avoiding the usual suppliers who might be compromised," Wang Ben said.
"Exactly." Wang Tian's lips curved slightly. "The man is cautious. He won't deal with just anyone. But Zhao Daniu vouched for us, and Zhao Yu's presence should reassure him."
Wang Ben understood. A Wang Clan elder approaching directly would draw attention. A pair of young cultivators making a casual purchase was far less notable.
"I'll go."
"Take Zhao Yu with you. And Ben..." Wang Tian paused, something flickering in his eyes. "Be careful. The Xue Clan knows we're looking for new suppliers. They may try to interfere."
Wang Ben nodded. After the poisoned shipment, he expected nothing less.
Zhao Yu met him at the compound gates, sword at his hip and a grin on his face.
"A mission. Finally." He fell into step beside Wang Ben as they walked toward the eastern market. "I was starting to think they'd never let me off patrol duty."
"It's not exactly a mission. We're meeting a merchant."
"A secret merchant. Through back channels. Because our enemies are trying to poison our supplies." Zhao Yu's grin widened. "That's close enough to a mission for me."
Wang Ben couldn't quite suppress a smile. His friend's enthusiasm was infectious, even when circumstances didn't warrant it. "Try to contain yourself. We're supposed to be inconspicuous."
"I'm always inconspicuous."
"You're wearing a sword."
"Everyone wears a sword."
"Yours has your family name engraved on the hilt."
Zhao Yu glanced down at his weapon, then shrugged. "Details."
They walked through streets that were slowly returning to normal. Five days after the beast tide, Redstone City was finding its rhythm again. Market stalls were reopening. Merchants were hawking their wares. The rubble from damaged buildings was being cleared away.
But the scars remained. Wang Ben noticed them as they passed through the merchant district. A wall with claw marks still visible. A shop with boards covering a broken window. A shrine to a family that had lost someone in the attack.
The city was healing. But it hadn't forgotten.
"My father heard something last night," Zhao Yu said, his voice dropping. "About the Xue Clan."
"What kind of something?"
"They're hiring. Outside cultivators, wandering swordsmen, anyone with a grudge and a flexible conscience." Zhao Yu's jaw tightened. "Officially, it's for 'additional security' after the beast tide. Unofficially..."
"Unofficially, they're building pressure."
"That's what my father thinks. He said to watch for strangers. People who don't quite fit."
Wang Ben filed the information away. It aligned with what he'd already observed. The Xue Clan couldn't attack directly without triggering open conflict, so they were finding other ways to apply pressure. Anonymous sabotage. Hired provocateurs. The slow, grinding warfare of political maneuvering.
He should have expected this.
They turned onto the main market street, a wide avenue lined with shops and stalls. The morning crowd was thick, cultivators and merchants mixing in the eternal dance of commerce. Wang Ben scanned the faces as they walked, looking for anything out of place.
Nothing caught his attention. Just the usual bustle of a city going about its business.
They were halfway to their destination when the trouble found them.
Three men stepped out of a side street, blocking their path.
They were cultivators. Wang Ben could tell at a glance from the way they carried themselves, the casual confidence of people accustomed to being dangerous. They wore the rough clothing of traveling swordsmen, and each had a blade at their hip.
[THREAT ASSESSMENT: MULTIPLE SUBJECTS]
[Subject 1: Male, approximately 25 years. Cultivation: Qi Condensation Stage 4 (mid-stage). Weapon: Standard sword, well-maintained.]
[Subject 2: Male, approximately 30 years. Cultivation: Qi Condensation Stage 3 (early-stage). Weapon: Curved blade, decorative elements suggest foreign origin.]
[Subject 3: Male, approximately 22 years. Cultivation: Qi Condensation Stage 2 (early-stage). Weapon: Short sword, defensive stance.]
[Threat Level: MODERATE]
[Assessment: Subjects positioned to block movement. Formation suggests practiced coordination.]
[Note: Subject clothing inconsistent with claimed status. Details follow.]
Three qi condensation cultivators. Not overwhelming, but more than Wang Ben and Zhao Yu could handle in a straight fight. Two peak body refinement cultivators against three qi condensation was a losing equation.
But Wang Ben noticed something else. Something the System highlighted with cold precision.
Their boots.
The men wore the rough clothing of wandering cultivators, patched and travel-worn. But their boots were new. High-quality leather with reinforced soles. The kind of boots that cost more than a wandering swordsman would earn in three months.
[ANOMALY DETECTED]
[Clothing analysis: Outer garments show deliberate weathering, inconsistent with natural wear patterns. Boots are high-quality construction, recent manufacture, estimated cost 50+ silver.]
[Assessment: Subjects are disguised. True affiliation unknown but resources suggest backing by established organization.]
[Probability of Xue Clan connection: 73%]
Zhao Yu's hand drifted toward his sword. Wang Ben caught his wrist before he could draw.
"Don't."
The lead man, the one with mid-stage qi condensation, smiled. It wasn't a friendly expression.
"Well, well. The Wang Clan's little prodigy." His voice carried across the street, deliberately loud. Drawing attention. "Heard you killed a wolf in the forest. Some kind of hero, they say."
Wang Ben kept his face neutral. "I don't know you."
"No. You don't." The man stepped closer, his companions spreading to block any retreat. "But we've heard about you. The whole city's heard about you. The boy who sees things others miss. The tactical genius who spotted the beast tide for what it was."
There was something ugly in his tone. Something that spoke of grudges being nursed.
"You don't look like much to me," the man continued. "Just a mid-stage body refinement cultivator with a famous father. How much of that reputation is real, I wonder?"
Zhao Yu's muscles tensed under Wang Ben's grip. "Let go. I'm going to..."
"You're going to do nothing." Wang Ben kept his voice low, pitched for Zhao Yu's ears alone. "Look at them. Really look."
The second man, the one with the curved blade, laughed. "Your friend wants to fight. Maybe he should. We're just wandering swordsmen looking for work. No laws against asking questions in public."
"No laws against answering questions with steel, either," Zhao Yu shot back.
"Zhao Yu." Wang Ben's voice was sharp. "They want this. They want us to start something in public. Three qi condensation cultivators against two body refinement juniors? Any fight would be over in seconds, and we'd be the ones who drew first."
Understanding flickered in Zhao Yu's eyes. His hand moved away from his sword, though his jaw remained tight.
The lead man's smile faltered slightly. He'd expected a reaction. Hot blood and wounded pride. Not careful calculation.
"Smart boy," he said, and there was something in his voice that sounded almost like disappointment. "Too smart for your own good, maybe. People who think too much tend to end up thinking themselves into corners."
"And people who provoke fights in public tend to end up answering to the City Guard," Wang Ben replied. "You've made your point. We'll be going now."
He started to walk past them. For a moment, he thought they would let him.
Then the third man, the youngest one, stepped directly into his path. His face twisted with sudden, theatrical contempt.
"Running away? That's what the Wang Clan does now? Run from every challenge?"
Wang Ben stopped. "Move."
"Make me."
The standoff stretched for one heartbeat. Two. The crowd around them had noticed now. People were watching, pretending not to watch, the eternal theater of public conflict.
Wang Ben could see how this would play out. If he tried to push past, the man would claim assault. If he drew his sword, he'd be the aggressor. If he stood here, they would continue to provoke until someone broke.
The only winning move was to walk away. And they all knew it.
He turned, leading Zhao Yu around the group through the thinner part of the crowd. The three men didn't follow.
But as they passed, the lead cultivator spoke one more time.
"That's right. Walk away. Your whole clan's going to be walking away soon. Walking away from your compound. Walking away from this city. Walking away from everything you've ever..."
The sound of spitting cut him off. Something wet struck the ground at Wang Ben's feet.
He stopped.
The crowd went silent.
Wang Ben looked down at the spittle on the cobblestones, inches from his boot. Then he looked up at the man who had done it. The youngest one. The one with early-stage qi condensation and a face full of smug satisfaction.
[ALERT: Provocative action detected]
[Assessment: Subject attempting to force physical response]
[Recommendation: Disengage. Public altercation would damage Wang Clan reputation regardless of outcome]
Zhao Yu was vibrating with fury. Wang Ben could feel it through the hand still gripping his friend's arm. Every muscle in Zhao Yu's body wanted to draw steel and make someone bleed.
"Ben." The word came through gritted teeth. "Let me go."
"No."
"He just..."
"I know what he did." Wang Ben's voice was flat, controlled. "And I know what he wants. He wants us to react. He wants a scene. He wants the Wang Clan's young cultivators making trouble in public while witnesses watch."
"And we just let them..."
"We walk away." Wang Ben met Zhao Yu's eyes, holding his gaze with something close to steel. "We walk away, and we remember their faces, and we let them think they've won. Because winning a street fight means nothing. And losing the political battle means everything."
For a long moment, Zhao Yu looked like he might break free anyway. His hand twitched toward his sword. His breath came fast and angry.
Then, slowly, the tension bled out of him. His shoulders dropped. His hand fell to his side.
"I hate this," he said quietly.
"I know."
They walked away. Behind them, Wang Ben heard laughter. Mocking, deliberate, pitched to carry.
He didn't look back.
They found the merchant's shop three streets over, a modest establishment that sold formation supplies and specialty herbs. The owner was a thin man with nervous eyes who spoke in whispers and refused to discuss anything until they'd stepped into his back room.
The business was conducted quickly. Prices were agreed. Delivery schedules were arranged. The merchant asked no questions about why the Wang Clan needed alternative suppliers, and Wang Ben offered no explanations.
By the time they left, the encounter in the street felt like something that had happened to someone else.
Almost.
They walked in silence for several blocks before Zhao Yu spoke.
"How did you know?"
Wang Ben glanced at him. "Know what?"
"That they were Xue Clan people. That it was a setup." Zhao Yu's voice was calmer now, though the anger still simmered beneath the surface. "They looked like wandering cultivators. They talked like wandering cultivators. How did you know?"
Wang Ben considered the question. He couldn't explain the System. Couldn't describe the cold analysis that had highlighted every inconsistency in their appearance. But he could share the conclusion.
"Their boots."
Zhao Yu blinked. "Their... boots?"
"High-quality leather. Recent manufacture. Probably cost more than a wandering cultivator earns in months." Wang Ben kept his voice casual, as if he were discussing the weather. "The rest of their clothes were deliberately weathered. Fake wear patterns. But no one thinks to fake the wear on their boots. And no one wearing boots that expensive is really a struggling swordsman looking for work."
Zhao Yu was silent for a moment, processing this. Then he laughed, short and sharp.
"Boots. You looked at their boots while they were threatening us, and you noticed their boots didn't match their story."
"Details matter."
"Details." Zhao Yu shook his head. "You're terrifying sometimes. You know that?"
Wang Ben didn't answer. He wasn't sure how to feel about the observation.
They walked on, the morning sun climbing higher, the streets growing busier around them. But the encounter had left something dark coiling in Wang Ben's chest. An anger he didn't usually allow himself to feel.
They had spat at him. Spat at his family's name. And he had walked away because walking away was the smart play, the tactical choice, the decision that served the Wang Clan's interests.
But smart choices had costs. And this one had cost him something he couldn't quite name.
"They'll try again," Zhao Yu said finally. "The Xue Clan. This was just the beginning, wasn't it?"
"Yes."
"And we'll keep walking away? Keep taking it?"
Wang Ben thought about the question. About the pressure campaign that was just beginning. About the escalation that would inevitably follow.
"We keep walking away until we can't," he said. "And when we can't... we make sure we're strong enough that walking away isn't our only option."
Zhao Yu nodded slowly. Something had shifted in his expression. The hot anger was still there, but it was being channeled now. Focused.
"Then we get stronger."
"Yes."
"Starting now?"
Wang Ben felt the tension in his muscles, the pressure of the pill working through his system. The breakthrough was coming. Hours away, maybe less.
"Starting now," he agreed.
They returned to the compound before midday. Wang Ben reported the successful contact to his father, omitting the confrontation in the street. Wang Tian didn't need another burden. Not yet.
But when he reached his private courtyard, he found he couldn't settle into training. The encounter kept replaying in his mind. The laughter. The spit hitting the stones. The way he'd had to force himself to walk away.
He sat on the training ground, legs crossed, eyes closed. The System hummed at the edge of his awareness, cold and patient.
[OBSERVATION: Host displaying elevated stress hormones]
[Assessment: Encounter caused psychological distress despite successful tactical outcome]
[Note: Human emotional responses often conflict with optimal strategic decisions]
[Recommendation: Process emotional response. Suppression increases long-term instability]
The System's observation was clinically accurate, as always. But accuracy didn't make it easier to accept.
Wang Ben opened his eyes and stared at the sky.
He had knowledge that no one else possessed. Techniques from Chen Tianlong's vast experience. Scientific understanding from Ye Xiu's Earth. The System's analysis and optimization. These were advantages that set him apart from every other cultivator in this city.
But advantages meant nothing if he couldn't use them. And right now, he was too weak to use them against the threats that mattered.
Mid-stage body refinement. That was what he was. A talented junior in a declining clan, facing enemies with more power, more resources, and more willingness to play dirty than he could match.
The Xue Clan hadn't sent those cultivators to actually fight him. They'd sent them to demonstrate something. To show the city that the Wang Clan could be humiliated without consequence. To establish a pattern of small defeats that would accumulate into larger ones.
It was elegant, in a terrible way. The kind of strategy that worked precisely because there was no good counter at his current level.
One step at a time, he reminded himself. One stage at a time.
He closed his eyes again and turned his attention inward, to the pressure building in his muscles and bones. The breakthrough was close now. He could feel it.
And when it came, he would be one step closer to the strength he needed.
That evening, as the sun painted the western sky in shades of orange and red, Wang Ben broke through.
It wasn't dramatic. No heavenly signs or earth-shaking pressure. Just a quiet shift in his body, a settling of power into a new configuration. The tension that had been building for days released all at once, and he felt his muscles grow denser, his bones grow harder, his physical capabilities expand in ways that were subtle but significant.
[BREAKTHROUGH DETECTED]
[Previous cultivation: Body Refinement Stage 6 (mid-stage)]
[Current cultivation: Body Refinement Stage 7 (late-stage)]
[Physical enhancement: +47% baseline (vs. pre-pill state)]
[Body Tempering Pill absorption: 31.2%]
[Note: Breakthrough accelerated absorption rate]
[Projected peak: Body Refinement Stage 9, approximately 3-4 weeks]
Late-stage body refinement. The beginning of the peak levels. Wang Ben stood in his courtyard, testing his new strength with simple movements. Every motion felt sharper. Every muscle responded with greater precision.
It wasn't enough. Not yet. But it was progress.
He thought about the men in the street. Their mocking laughter. Their confidence that they could humiliate him without consequence.
Next time, he thought, the equation will be different.
Not because he would fight them. Fighting was still the wrong answer. But because with each breakthrough, the gap between them narrowed. And eventually, the gap would close entirely.
Eventually, walking away would be a choice. Not a necessity.
That was worth waiting for.
The night brought no dreams of snow. Just darkness, and rest, and the quiet work of his body adapting to its new strength.
But in the last moments before sleep took him, Wang Ben thought he heard something. A whisper at the edge of perception. A familiar voice from an unfamiliar memory.
Patience is a weapon, it said. But only if you're patient long enough to use it.
He slept, and did not dream.
But somewhere in the city, in a private room above a tea house that always seemed quiet regardless of the hour, Shen Wuyan looked up from a report scroll and smiled.
"Interesting," he murmured to himself. "Very interesting indeed."
END OF CHAPTER 26