The list had seven names.
Wang Ben studied it in the quiet of his courtyard, morning light casting long shadows across the bamboo scroll. Seven people had been present when the route modification for Patrol Team Seven was decided. Seven potential sources for the leak that had led to Wang Liang's crippling.
[ANALYSIS: SUSPECT POOL]
[Personnel present at route modification meeting (11th hour, Day 8):]
[1. Wang Hao - Team leader, peak Qi Condensation. Longtime service record. Low probability.]
[2. Sun Bao - Early-stage Qi Condensation. Three years service. Moderate probability.]
[3. Elder Wang Qing - Foundation Establishment Stage 2. Forty years service. Very low probability.]
[4. Disciple Chen Wei - Early-stage Qi Condensation. Victim of attack. Probability: negligible.]
[5. Disciple Zhou Ming - Mid-stage Qi Condensation. Victim of attack. Probability: negligible.]
[6. Guard Captain Liu Shan - Peak Qi Condensation. Twenty years service. Low probability.]
[7. Clerk Wang Rui - Mid-stage Body Refinement. Record keeper. Access to schedules. Moderate probability.]
The System's probability assessments were based on behavioral patterns, access to communication methods, and historical reliability. None of them screamed "traitor." But someone in that room had passed information to the enemy within hours of the meeting's conclusion.
Wang Ben had spent the previous evening cross-referencing the compound exit logs. Only three people had left the compound between the meeting and the attack: Sun Bao (personal errand, returned within two hours), Guard Captain Liu Shan (wall patrol, standard duty), and Clerk Wang Rui (supply run to the market, returned at dusk).
[ANALYSIS: EXIT LOG CORRELATION]
[Sun Bao: Left compound 12th hour, returned 14th hour. Destination: unknown.]
[Liu Shan: Wall patrol 13th hour to 17th hour. Verified by rotation records.]
[Wang Rui: Supply run 12th hour, returned 18th hour. Destination: eastern market.]
[Note: Attack occurred at 3rd hour following day. Any of the three had sufficient time to transmit intelligence.]
The eastern market. The same area where the contaminated supplies had originated. The same district where the provocateurs had confronted Wang Ben.
Coincidence seemed unlikely.
Wang Ben made a mental note to look more closely at Wang Rui's background. A clerk would have access to patrol schedules, route modifications, personnel assignments. The perfect position for gathering intelligence. And mid-stage body refinement meant he was low enough on the hierarchy that no one would watch him carefully.
But suspicion wasn't proof. He needed evidence.
A commotion at the compound gates interrupted his analysis.
Voices carried across the morning air. Raised, urgent, threading with something that sounded like distress. Wang Ben rose from his courtyard bench and moved toward the sound.
Disciples were gathering near the main gate, clustering around something he couldn't yet see. Their faces held expressions that made his stomach tighten. Horror. Anger. The particular tension of people witnessing something they couldn't prevent.
He pushed through the crowd.
A girl knelt in the dirt just inside the gate, her robes torn at the shoulder, her hair disheveled. Blood traced a thin line from her split lip. She couldn't have been more than sixteen, and she was shaking with the full-body tremors of someone trying not to cry.
Wang Ben recognized her. Wang Shu. A minor branch cousin, daughter of Wang Tian's second uncle. She lived in the western quarter of the compound with her widowed mother. Quiet. Unassuming. Early-stage qi condensation, talented but unremarkable.
Two disciples knelt beside her, one pressing a cloth to her bleeding lip while the other tried to arrange her torn robe to preserve her modesty. An older woman Wang Ben didn't recognize was weeping openly, clutching Wang Shu's hand.
"What happened?"
The crowd parted at his voice. Eyes turned toward him, some relieved, some uncertain. Wang Shu looked up, and the shame in her expression hit him like a physical blow.
"Young Master Wang." One of the kneeling disciples spoke, her voice tight with fury. "She was attacked. In the market. By Xue Feng."
The name hung in the air like poison.
Xue Feng. The Xue Clan's heir. Late-stage qi condensation, known throughout the city for his arrogance and his father's protection. Wang Ben had never met him directly, but he knew the type. The kind who saw lesser cultivators as furniture. As things to be used or discarded at whim.
"Tell me exactly what happened."
Wang Shu's voice emerged in fragments, broken by shuddering breaths. "I was... I was just buying herbs. Mother asked me to... for her cultivation. He was... he was there with two others. They saw my robes. The Wang crest."
She touched the torn fabric unconsciously, her fingers trembling.
"He said... he said we were dogs. That the Wang Clan needed to learn its place. He..." Her voice cracked. "He made me kneel. In front of everyone. Then he... he hit me. Tore my robe. Said to tell our Patriarch that this is what happens to those who defy the Xue."
[ALERT: MAJOR POLITICAL INCIDENT]
[Analysis: Xue Feng's actions constitute public humiliation of Wang Clan member]
[Witnesses: Unknown number, market setting suggests dozens]
[Political implications: SEVERE]
[Assessment: This incident cannot be ignored without catastrophic loss of face]
Wang Ben felt something cold settle in his chest. Not anger, though anger was there, burning beneath the surface. Something more calculated. More dangerous.
This wasn't random cruelty. This was a message. The Xue Clan's pressure campaign had escalated from economic warfare to violence to public humiliation of Wang Clan members. Each step designed to test boundaries. Each step designed to see how much they could take.
And now they had their answer.
"Can you walk?" Wang Ben asked gently.
Wang Shu nodded, though the motion was uncertain.
"Someone help her to the medical pavilion. Make sure she's treated properly." He turned to the disciple who had spoken. "Find my father. And the Grand Elder. Tell them what happened. Every detail."
The disciple nodded and ran.
Wang Ben looked at the crowd gathered around them. Disciples, guards, retainer family members. Their faces held the same mix of horror and fury he felt. But beneath that, he saw something else. Something that looked like fear.
If the Xue Clan could do this to a Wang Clan member in broad daylight, in the public market, what else could they do?
That was the question the attack was meant to plant. And Wang Ben refused to let it take root.
"This will not go unanswered," he said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "The Xue Clan has crossed a line. The Patriarch and elders will respond appropriately."
The words weren't strictly his to say. He was a late-stage body refinement cultivator with no formal authority. But someone needed to say them. Someone needed to remind the clan that they weren't helpless.
He hoped he was right.
The Patriarch's study was crowded when Wang Ben arrived.
Wang Tiexin sat behind his desk, his expression carved from stone. Grand Elder Wang Feng stood by the window, his scarred face darker than Wang Ben had ever seen it. Wang Tian was there too, along with three other elders Wang Ben recognized but couldn't name. And in the corner, sitting very still with a physician's bandage on her lip, was Wang Shu.
"Young Master Wang." The Patriarch's voice was flat. "You were at the gate when she arrived."
"Yes, Patriarch."
"Tell me what you observed."
Wang Ben recounted what he'd seen and heard, keeping his voice level and precise. The torn robes. The split lip. The trembling. Wang Shu's account of the attack. Xue Feng's words.
When he finished, the room was silent.
"Xue Feng." Grand Elder Wang Feng's voice was barely controlled. "That arrogant little bastard."
"Language," the Patriarch said mildly. But there was no real reproach in his tone.
"He did this in public." One of the unnamed elders spoke, his face pale. "In the eastern market. Dozens of witnesses. By nightfall, the entire city will know."
"That's the point." Wang Tian's voice was quiet but hard. "They wanted witnesses. They wanted the story to spread. They want everyone to know what the Xue Clan can do to us without consequence."
"Then we give them consequences." Wang Feng's hand drifted toward the sword at his hip. "Let me find this young master. Let me teach him what happens when you touch our people."
"And start a war?" The Patriarch's voice cut through the room. "If you kill the Xue Clan's heir, Patriarch Xue will have no choice but to retaliate. Half the city will burn."
"Half the city may burn anyway." Wang Feng turned from the window, his eyes blazing. "How long do we keep tolerating this? They sabotaged Wang Tian for nine years. They've been squeezing us economically for months. They crippled Wang Liang. And now they're assaulting our women in the streets. Where does it end?"
The question hung in the air. No one had an answer.
[ANALYSIS: POLITICAL SITUATION]
[Xue Clan actions have escalated beyond plausible deniability]
[Wang Clan options:]
[1. Demand formal apology and compensation. Probability of success: LOW. Xue Patriarch cannot punish heir without losing face.]
[2. Retaliate in kind. Risk: Immediate escalation to open conflict.]
[3. Accept insult and move on. Result: Catastrophic loss of face. Retainer families lose confidence.]
[4. Seek intervention from higher authority (Huo Clan, City Lord). Probability of effective action: UNCERTAIN.]
[Assessment: No good options. Xue Clan has created a Face Lock-In situation.]
Wang Ben understood the trap. The Xue Clan's heir had forced a confrontation that couldn't be ignored. If the Wang Clan responded with violence, they'd be blamed for starting a war. If they didn't respond, they'd look weak. Every retainer family, every allied merchant, every potential supporter would see that the Wang Clan couldn't protect its own.
And Patriarch Xue knew this. He'd either authorized his son's actions or he'd failed to control him. Either way, he was committed now.
"What do we do?" Wang Shu's voice was small, breaking the tension. "I'm sorry. I didn't... I should have fought back. I should have..."
"You did nothing wrong." Li Mei appeared in the doorway, moving past Wang Ben to kneel beside the girl. When had his mother arrived? "You survived. That's what matters."
"I was weak."
"You were ambushed by a cultivator several stages above you." Li Mei's voice was gentle but firm. "Fighting would have gotten you killed. You made the right choice."
Wang Shu didn't look convinced, but she stopped apologizing.
The Patriarch watched the exchange, something unreadable in his expression. Then he turned to the elders.
"We will demand a formal explanation from Patriarch Xue. We will require an apology, public acknowledgment of wrongdoing, and appropriate compensation for the victim." His voice was measured, controlled. "We will give them three days to respond."
"And if they refuse?" Wang Feng asked.
The Patriarch met his eyes. "Then we will have our answer about whether peaceful resolution is possible."
The words settled over the room like the first chill of winter. Everyone understood what they meant.
If the Xue Clan refused, there would be war.
Wang Ben found his father in the family quarters that evening.
Wang Tian sat at the low table, a cup of tea cooling beside him. He didn't look up when Wang Ben entered, just gestured to the seat across from him.
"You saw her," Wang Tian said. It wasn't a question.
"At the gate. When she arrived."
"What did you think?"
Wang Ben considered the question. "I thought the Xue Clan has made a mistake."
"A mistake?" Wang Tian's eyebrows rose slightly.
"They've been careful until now. Economic pressure. Deniable violence. The kind of warfare that's hard to prove and harder to retaliate against." Wang Ben poured himself tea, the ritual motion helping him organize his thoughts. "But this was public. This was the heir, not hired proxies. This was unmistakable."
"And why is that a mistake?"
"Because they've given us something we didn't have before. Justification." Wang Ben met his father's eyes. "Everything else they've done, they could deny or explain away. But this? Dozens of witnesses saw Xue Feng assault a Wang Clan member. There's no story they can tell that makes that acceptable."
Wang Tian nodded slowly. "You're right. But that cuts both ways."
"What do you mean?"
"If they've given up on deniability, it means they've decided open conflict is preferable to continued maneuvering." Wang Tian's expression was grim. "They're not backing down, Ben. They're escalating. And that means someone has convinced them they can win."
[CORRELATION DETECTED]
[External funding source: Still unidentified]
[Xue Clan confidence level: Increasing despite setbacks]
[Hypothesis: External backer has provided assurance of support in event of open conflict]
[Probability: 67%]
The external funding. The mysterious source that had poured resources into the Xue Clan's pressure campaign. If that source had promised military support...
"We need to find out who's backing them," Wang Ben said. "Before this goes any further."
"The Patriarch knows. The Grand Elder knows. Everyone knows we need that information." Wang Tian sighed. "But knowing we need it and finding it are different things. The Crimson Bastion connection you identified is promising, but it's not proof."
"Then I'll find proof."
Wang Tian studied him for a long moment. "You've changed, Ben. Since that wolf. Since whatever happened to you in the forest." He paused. "Sometimes I look at you and I see a stranger. Someone older. Someone who's seen things no fifteen-year-old should have seen."
Wang Ben didn't know how to respond to that.
"I'm still your son."
"I know you are." Wang Tian's voice softened. "And I'm proud of you. Whatever else you've become, you're still the boy I raised. You're still fighting for this family. That's what matters."
They sat in silence for a while, drinking tea as the evening light faded.
"The Patriarch gave them three days," Wang Tian said finally. "Three days to apologize and make restitution. What do you think they'll do?"
"They'll refuse." Wang Ben felt the certainty of it in his bones. "Patriarch Xue can't punish his heir without losing face. And he can't admit his heir was wrong without admitting the Xue Clan has been wrong about everything else. They're committed now."
"So war is inevitable."
"Yes." Wang Ben set down his tea. "The only question is when it starts and how we prepare."
Wang Tian was quiet for a long moment. Then he stood, moving to a cabinet against the wall. He returned with a small box, carved from dark wood with silver inlays.
"I was saving this for your breakthrough to Stage 8," he said, setting the box on the table. "But I think you should have it now."
Wang Ben opened the box. Inside, nestled in silk padding, was a pill. It was smaller than the Body Tempering Pill, jade-green with threads of gold running through its surface.
[ITEM ANALYSIS: UNKNOWN PILL]
[Composition: Multiple high-grade spiritual herbs detected]
[Grade: 8 (estimated)]
[Effect: Unable to determine without alchemical reference]
[Note: Craftsmanship indicates skilled Grade 8 refinement.]
"What is it?"
"A Meridian Strengthening Pill. Grade 8 quality." Wang Tian's voice carried a note of pride. "I refined it from materials your mother and I have been saving for years. It's meant to prepare the body for the Qi Condensation breakthrough. Take it when you reach Stage 9, and your transition to qi cultivation will be smoother. Safer."
Wang Ben stared at the pill. Years of saving. Materials that must have cost a fortune for a family in their circumstances. All for him.
"Father..."
"You're going to need every advantage." Wang Tian's hand closed over his. "War is coming. The Xue Clan has made sure of that. And when it arrives, I want you to be ready."
Wang Ben closed the box carefully, holding it like the precious thing it was.
"I will be."
That night, Wang Ben didn't sleep.
He sat in his courtyard, letting the Body Tempering Pill continue its work while his mind turned over everything he knew. The spy in the clan. The external funding. The escalation pattern. The war that was coming.
[STATUS UPDATE]
[Body Tempering Pill absorption: 41.7%]
[Physical enhancement: +61% baseline]
[Projected advancement to Stage 8: 2-4 days]
[Note: Elevated stress hormones detected. Minimal impact on absorption rate.]
Two to four days until his next breakthrough. Not enough time to reach qi condensation before the conflict began. But every stage mattered. Every increment of strength could mean the difference between survival and death.
He thought about Wang Shu. The shame in her eyes. The blood on her lip. She'd done nothing wrong except carry the Wang Clan name.
And she'd suffered for it.
The Xue Clan's campaign wasn't about politics or resources anymore. It was about breaking the Wang Clan's spirit. Making them afraid. Showing everyone that opposing the Xue meant pain and humiliation.
Wang Ben refused to be afraid.
But he also refused to be stupid. Anger was useful only if it could be directed. Rage without strategy was just noise. The Xue Clan wanted them to react emotionally, to lash out in ways that could be exploited.
He wouldn't give them that satisfaction.
Instead, he would find the spy. He would uncover the funding source. He would identify every weakness in the Xue Clan's position. And when war came, he would be ready to strike where it hurt most.
The night deepened around him, stars wheeling overhead in their eternal dance.
Somewhere in the city, Xue Feng was probably celebrating his victory. Laughing about the Wang girl he'd humiliated. Imagining more such conquests to come.
He wouldn't be laughing for long.
Wang Ben closed his eyes and focused on his cultivation, letting the pill's energy flow through muscles and bones that grew stronger with each passing hour.
War was coming.
He intended to survive it.
A soft sound broke through his meditation. Footsteps on gravel, moving quickly past his courtyard toward the compound's back gate. Wang Ben's eyes opened, tracking the shadow that slipped through the darkness.
Wang Rui. The clerk. Moving through the compound at the third hour of night, when honest people slept.
The eastern market. The supply run that coincided with the attack on Patrol Team Seven. And now, movement in the night when everyone's attention was focused on the Xue Clan's public insult.
[OBSERVATION: Subject departing compound during non-standard hours]
[Correlation with previous suspect analysis: SIGNIFICANT]
[Recommendation: Surveillance warranted]
Wang Ben rose silently, his body moving with the enhanced grace of near-Stage 8 cultivation.
The spy hunt had just become very interesting.
END OF CHAPTER 32