The sun had barely risen when Wang Ben and Zhao Yu finished their analysis.
They sat in a corner of the training grounds, speaking in voices too low to carry. The compound was just beginning to stir around them, disciples emerging for morning practice, the clatter of the kitchens preparing breakfast echoing across the courtyards.
"Three hundred percent," Wang Ben said quietly. "That's not clan resources. That's external investment."
Zhao Yu nodded, his expression troubled. "My father went through everything twice. The Xue Clan's legitimate income can't support what they've been spending. The mercenary contracts alone would have bankrupted them months ago."
[ANALYSIS: EXTERNAL FUNDING SOURCE]
[Known Xue Clan expenditures (past 6 months):]
[- Mercenary contracts: 800+ mid-grade spirit stones]
[- Official bribes: 400+ mid-grade spirit stones]
[- Material acquisitions: 600+ mid-grade spirit stones]
[- Pressure campaign operations: 600+ mid-grade spirit stones]
[Total estimated: 2,400+ mid-grade spirit stones]
[Xue Clan annual revenue: ~800 mid-grade spirit stones]
[Conclusion: External funding required. Source unknown.]
"Who would invest that much in destroying one declining clan?" Zhao Yu asked.
Wang Ben had been turning that question over since dawn. The Wang Clan wasn't important enough to warrant this level of attention. They were a third-tier clan in a frontier city, their influence waning for decades. There was no strategic value in their destruction that would justify spending three times the Xue Clan's annual revenue.
Unless the investment wasn't about the Wang Clan at all.
"Maybe it's not about us," he said slowly. "Maybe we're just a target of opportunity. The Xue Clan wanted to take us down anyway. Someone else is funding them for their own reasons."
"What reasons?"
"I don't know yet." Wang Ben stood, brushing dust from his robes. "But your father's contacts might. Keep listening. Note who the Xue Clan has been meeting with, especially anyone from outside the city."
Zhao Yu nodded. "I'll talk to him. The forge hears everything eventually."
They parted ways as the training grounds began to fill. Wang Ben moved through his morning forms, but his mind was elsewhere, cataloging possibilities and discarding them one by one.
The Huo Clan wouldn't fund the Xue against the Wang. They were neutral administrators, invested in city stability. The Dao Clan was too weak and too allied with the Wang Clan to be involved. External enemies seemed unlikely. The Wang Clan had no significant feuds beyond Redstone City's borders.
Which left... what?
Someone with resources and motive that Wang Ben couldn't yet see. Someone patient enough to work through proxies. Someone who wanted the Wang Clan destroyed but didn't want their involvement known.
[RECOMMENDATION: Expand information network. Current data insufficient for meaningful analysis.]
The System was right. He needed more information. But information cost resources they didn't have, and the Xue Clan's pressure campaign was already squeezing those resources tighter every day.
The squeeze became personal that afternoon.
Wang Tian had planned to attend the regional auction at Jade Spring Hall, a neutral venue that served all four clans equally. He needed materials for his alchemical work, and the auction was the most reliable source for quality ingredients.
He returned to their quarters within an hour, his face carefully blank in a way Wang Ben had learned to recognize.
"What happened?"
His father sat heavily at the table. Li Mei looked up from where she was nursing Wang Chen, concern flickering across her features.
"The auction house has implemented a new policy." Wang Tian's voice was flat. "Wang Clan members are no longer permitted to bid. Our credit is under review."
The words hung in the air.
"They can't do that," Li Mei said. "Jade Spring Hall has served all clans for a century. Their neutrality is their entire business model."
"They can do whatever the Xue Clan's money tells them to do." Wang Tian's jaw tightened. "The manager wouldn't even meet my eyes. He just recited the policy like he'd been practicing it all morning."
Wang Ben felt cold anger settle in his chest. The auction house ban was clever. It didn't directly attack the Wang Clan. It simply made their lives harder, forced them to find alternative sources for materials that would cost more and be harder to verify for quality.
Economic warfare. Slow strangulation rather than direct assault.
"Can we appeal to the City Lord?" Li Mei asked.
"On what grounds? A private business changing their policies isn't a crime. The Huo Clan has no authority to force them to serve us." Wang Tian shook his head. "And even if they did, making this a formal complaint would only advertise our weakness."
"So we find alternatives," Wang Ben said.
His father looked at him. "Such as?"
"Zhao Daniu has contacts outside the main auction houses. Smaller suppliers, private traders. They won't have the same selection, and they'll charge more, but they won't be under Xue Clan pressure."
Wang Tian was quiet for a moment. "You've already thought about this."
"I've been thinking about a lot of things." Wang Ben met his father's eyes. "The Xue Clan isn't going to stop. Every day they'll find new ways to make our lives harder. We need to build networks that don't depend on neutral institutions, because those institutions aren't neutral anymore."
His father nodded slowly. "Arrange a meeting with Zhao Daniu. I'll need to assess what his contacts can actually provide."
"There's already a dinner planned," Li Mei said. Both men turned to look at her. "The Zhao family invited us for dinner tonight. A formal invitation, delivered this morning while you were at the auction."
Something flickered in Wang Tian's expression. He exchanged a glance with his wife that Wang Ben couldn't quite read.
"Then we'll discuss business over dinner," Wang Tian said. "And perhaps other matters as well."
The Zhao family quarters occupied a modest courtyard in the eastern section of the compound, where the retainer families lived. The space was smaller than the main family's residences, but it was immaculately maintained. Flowering plants lined the pathways. The furniture, though old, gleamed with careful polish.
Zhao Daniu greeted them at the entrance, his scarred hands clasped before him in formal welcome. His wife stood beside him, a small woman with sharp eyes and a warm smile.
"Master Wang. Mistress Li. Young Master Wang." Zhao Daniu's bow was precisely correct. "You honor our home."
"The honor is ours," Wang Tian replied, matching the formality. "Your family's service to the Wang Clan has been invaluable."
They were led inside to a dining area that had been carefully prepared. The table was set with care that bordered on reverence. Simple dishes, but beautifully arranged. The room smelled of incense and carefully cooked food.
Wang Ben noted that the table had been set for six. He, his parents, Zhao Daniu, his wife...
And someone else.
She entered from a side door as they were being seated. Sixteen or seventeen, with delicate features and intelligent eyes. She wore a simple but elegant robe, her hair arranged with obvious care. She moved with practiced grace as she approached the table.
"My daughter," Zhao Daniu said. "Zhao Lin."
"It's an honor to meet you." Zhao Lin's voice was soft but steady. She bowed to Wang Tian and Li Mei, then turned to Wang Ben. "And you as well, Young Master Wang. My brother speaks of you often."
"Zhao Yu is a good friend," Wang Ben said politely. "We've trained together many times."
"He says you're the most talented cultivator of your generation." Zhao Lin smiled. "He also says you think three steps ahead of everyone else."
"Zhao Yu is generous with his praise."
They took their seats. Wang Ben found himself across from Zhao Lin, with his parents flanking him and the Zhao family opposite. The arrangement felt deliberate in a way he couldn't quite articulate.
[OBSERVATION: Seating arrangement optimized for cross-generational conversation]
[Note: Host positioned for direct interaction with Subject Zhao Lin]
[Assessment: Social engineering consistent with patronage-building protocols]
The dinner proceeded with careful formality. Zhao Daniu's wife served the courses personally, each dish presented with quiet pride. The food was excellent despite its simplicity.
Conversation flowed around cultivation politics and city affairs. Wang Tian discussed the auction house situation with Zhao Daniu, who listened with the focused attention of a craftsman assessing a problem.
"I have contacts in Ironforge," Zhao Daniu said. "Smaller suppliers, less formal. They won't have everything you need, but they can cover the essentials. The premium will be twenty, perhaps thirty percent above auction prices."
"That's acceptable," Wang Tian said. "Reliability matters more than cost at this point."
"I'll make arrangements tomorrow."
While the older generation talked business, Zhao Lin directed her attention to Wang Ben.
"I heard you broke through again," she said. "Late-stage body refinement now?"
"Yesterday." Wang Ben took a bite of the braised vegetables. They were well-prepared. "It was quiet."
"My brother says the quiet breakthroughs are the most stable." Zhao Lin's eyes sparkled with what seemed like genuine interest. "He's been working toward his own advancement for months. He admires how quickly you progress."
"Zhao Yu has his own strengths. His instincts in combat are exceptional."
"That's kind of you to say." She poured tea for both of them with practiced grace. "Do you enjoy cultivation? The process itself, I mean. Not just the results."
Wang Ben considered the question. It was more thoughtful than he'd expected.
"I enjoy improvement," he said finally. "The sense of becoming more than I was. Whether that's cultivation or strategy or understanding, the feeling is the same."
"That's an interesting perspective." Zhao Lin tilted her head slightly. "Most cultivators talk about power or immortality. You talk about growth."
"Power and immortality are outcomes. Growth is the process." Wang Ben reached for his tea. "The process is what we actually experience. The outcomes are just milestones."
Zhao Lin was quiet for a moment, something shifting in her expression. "You really are different," she said softly. "Zhao Yu said you see things differently than other people. I didn't understand what he meant until now."
Wang Ben wasn't sure how to respond to that, so he simply nodded and continued eating.
Across the table, Li Mei was watching the exchange with barely concealed attention. Her eyes moved between Wang Ben and Zhao Lin, noting every gesture, every pause, every moment of connection or disconnection.
Wang Tian, for his part, was deeply engaged in discussion with Zhao Daniu about supply chains and material quality. If he noticed the subtle drama playing out beside him, he gave no sign.
The dinner continued for another hour. Zhao Lin asked more questions about cultivation, about Wang Ben's training, about his thoughts on the city's political situation. He answered each one honestly but briefly, then returned his attention to the food.
Finally, as the evening drew to a close, the Wang family made their farewells.
"Thank you for your hospitality," Wang Tian said. "And for your assistance with the supply situation."
"The Wang Clan has protected our family for generations," Zhao Daniu replied. "We do what we can in return."
They walked back through the compound in comfortable silence, the evening air cool against their skin. Wang Chen slept in Li Mei's arms, exhausted from the stimulation of new faces and voices.
"The Zhao girl is quite accomplished," Li Mei said casually.
"Is she?" Wang Ben thought back to the dinner. "She asked interesting questions."
"She asked thoughtful questions." His mother's voice was carefully neutral. "And she listened to your answers with genuine attention."
"She seems well-educated for a retainer family. Zhao Daniu has done well with her upbringing."
Li Mei made a sound that might have been a sigh. "Of course you didn't notice."
"Notice what?"
His father coughed, hiding what might have been a smile. "What didn't he notice, dear?"
"Everything important." Li Mei shook her head. "Men."
Wang Ben looked between his parents, genuinely confused. The dinner had been productive. They'd secured alternative supply channels, strengthened ties with the Zhao family, and enjoyed good food. What had he missed?
[ANALYSIS: Social dynamics of dinner conversation]
[Note: Subject Zhao Lin displayed behavioral markers consistent with...]
[Query interrupted. Insufficient context for meaningful assessment.]
The System was as unhelpful as ever.
The next morning, Wang Hao found Wang Ben in the training grounds.
"The Grand Elder wants to see you," he said without preamble. "This afternoon. His study."
Wang Ben felt something tighten in his chest. Wang Feng, the Grand Elder. Mid-stage core formation. The strongest combat cultivator in the Wang Clan.
"Did he say why?"
"He doesn't explain himself to team leaders." Wang Hao's expression was unreadable. "But I'd suggest being prepared for anything."
Wang Ben nodded slowly. The Grand Elder had been watching him since the forest. Since the lotus purchase. Since his tactical contributions during the expedition.
Now, apparently, he wanted a closer look.
[STATUS UPDATE]
[Body Tempering Pill absorption: 34.8%]
[Physical enhancement: +52% baseline]
[Projected advancement to Stage 8: 6-9 days]
[Note: Grand Elder attention represents significant variable. Prepare accordingly.]
Wang Ben returned to his forms, but his mind was already racing ahead. The Grand Elder's interest could be beneficial or dangerous, depending on what Wang Feng had observed and what conclusions he'd drawn.
One more piece on a board that grew more complex by the day.
One more variable he couldn't fully control.
END OF CHAPTER 28