Wang Tian arrived too late for the battle and too early for the aftermath.
Wang Ben watched his father's face as he took in the scene: the blood on the street, the bodies being removed by city guards, the wounded guard being tended by Physician Luo's apprentice. Most of all, he watched his father's eyes find Li Mei on the clinic's upper balcony, Wang Chen clutched against her chest, both unharmed.
The relief that crossed Wang Tian's features lasted only a heartbeat before something harder replaced it.
"Tell me." His voice carried the cold precision of a foundation establishment cultivator. "Everything."
Wang Ben told him. The demonic cultivators, three of them, appearing without warning. The golden barrier that had saved his life. Xue Feng emerging from the shadows with corruption crawling beneath his skin. The way the demonic auxiliaries had retreated on a signal, abandoning their supposed ally without hesitation.
And Zhao Yu. The young retainer who had appeared like a thunderbolt and fought with instincts that defied explanation.
Wang Tian listened without interruption. When Wang Ben finished, his father was silent for a long moment, staring at the spot where Xue Feng's body had lain.
"The Patriarch's meeting," Wang Tian said finally. "It was scheduled for today specifically. Information was leaked to ensure I wouldn't be here."
"You think they knew about it?"
"I think nothing about today was coincidence." Wang Tian's jaw tightened. "Where is the young man? Zhao Yu?"
Zhao Yu was sitting on the clinic's lower steps, his sword across his knees. His hands were steady, but his eyes held the distant look of someone still processing what he'd done.
Wang Tian approached him formally, and the young retainer scrambled to his feet, bowing deeply.
"Elder Wang, I only did what any loyal retainer would..."
"You protected my wife and son when I could not." Wang Tian's voice cut through the protest. "The Wang Clan does not forget such service."
He reached into his robes and withdrew a small jade box. When he opened it, the scent of concentrated spiritual energy wafted through the morning air. Inside rested a pill that gleamed with pale blue light.
"This is a Grade 8 Meridian Refinement Pill. It will help stabilize your recent breakthrough and accelerate your cultivation progress." Wang Tian placed the box in Zhao Yu's hands, ignoring the younger man's attempt to refuse. "Additionally, the Zhao family's status within the compound is hereby elevated. Your father will receive notification of increased merit allocation and training ground access."
Zhao Yu stared at the pill, clearly overwhelmed. "Elder Wang, this is too much..."
"It is not enough." Wang Tian's expression softened slightly. "My wife tells me what happened. How you intercepted the final attack, the one that would have reached the clinic. She says you moved before Xue Feng did."
Something flickered in Zhao Yu's eyes. Not pride. Confusion.
"I don't know how to explain it, Elder Wang." His voice dropped. "During the fight, something happened. I could see what they were going to do before they did it. Like I was watching from outside my own body."
Wang Tian was silent for a moment. Wang Ben, standing nearby, kept his expression carefully neutral.
[OBSERVATION: Subject Zhao Yu displaying continued manifestation of suspected Battle Soul capability]
[Reference previous analysis from breakthrough event: Battle Soul hypothesis confirmed with 73% probability]
[Current probability updated to 89% based on combat performance data]
"Some cultivators develop unusual instincts," Wang Tian said finally. "Combat awareness that exceeds their cultivation level. It's rare, but not unheard of."
He didn't push further, but Wang Ben saw the calculation in his father's eyes. Wang Tian had noticed something impossible and was choosing to file it away rather than demand explanations.
"Rest today," Wang Tian told Zhao Yu. "You've earned it. I'll speak with your father this evening about the changes to your family's status."
After Zhao Yu departed, still clutching the jade box like he wasn't sure it was real, Wang Tian turned to his son.
"Walk with me."
They found a quiet corner of the physician's quarter, away from the bustle of guards and servants dealing with the aftermath. Wang Tian activated a small formation disc that would prevent casual eavesdropping.
"Now," he said. "Tell me what you didn't say in front of the others."
Wang Ben hesitated only a moment. "During the fight, Xue Feng said something. He mentioned the Bastion blocking materials, strangling us slowly. He knew about the shadow-drinking crystal, about the expedition companies being paid to stop running harvests."
Wang Tian's expression didn't change, but something cold settled behind his eyes. "Coordination."
"More than that." Wang Ben chose his words carefully. "The demonic cultivator who retreated... he wasn't just following orders. He said Xue Feng had 'served his purpose.' That the operation had concluded."
"Asset testing." Wang Tian understood immediately. "They weren't trying to kill us. They were measuring our response."
[TACTICAL ASSESSMENT: Pattern analysis confirms Crimson Bastion coordination with 94% probability]
[Evidence synthesis: Material denial campaigns + delegate presence during Xue Clan funding + organized observation patterns = coordinated operation]
[Implication: Previous "unknown watchers" now identifiable as Crimson Bastion intelligence operatives]
"The watchers," Wang Ben said. "The ones we've sensed for weeks. I think they're Bastion scouts."
Wang Tian was quiet for a long moment. When he spoke, his voice was grimmer than Wang Ben had ever heard it.
"If the Crimson Bastion is actively moving against us, the political implications are severe. They're the domain capital. They have authority over Redstone City, over City Lord Huo. If they choose to apply pressure through official channels..."
"We have protection."
"Do we?" Wang Tian met his son's eyes. "The Shen siblings have shown interest in our family. But interest is not commitment. They've killed Bastion delegates, which means the Bastion knows there's a power protecting us. That changes their calculation."
"How?"
"They won't attack openly. Too risky when they don't know what they're facing." Wang Tian's expression was bleak. "But they don't need to attack. They can strangle us through commerce, through politics, through a thousand small pressures that don't require cultivation force. They can make our lives impossible without ever drawing a sword."
Wang Ben thought about the shadow-drinking crystal. About the expedition companies. About all the ways power could manifest that had nothing to do with qi.
"What do we do?"
"We complete the array." Wang Tian placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Whatever obligation you've taken on with the Shen siblings, finish it. The sooner we demonstrate that we're not just protected but valuable, the harder it becomes for the Bastion to move against us."
He paused, and something shifted in his expression.
"And Ben'er... the young man. Zhao Yu. Watch him carefully."
"Father?"
"What he described, seeing attacks before they happen, moving before conscious thought..." Wang Tian's voice was quiet. "I've read about such things. In old texts, accounts of cultivators with unusual capabilities. There was a term for it, though I can't recall..."
"Battle Soul."
Wang Tian's eyes sharpened. "Where did you hear that?"
Wang Ben silently cursed his own slip. "I don't remember. Something from one of the clan archives, maybe."
His father studied him for a long moment, and Wang Ben could see the questions forming. How did his son know about Battle Souls when Wang Tian himself couldn't recall the term? What texts had he been reading? How did a seventeen-year-old possess knowledge that even elders found obscure?
But Wang Tian, like always, chose not to ask. He simply nodded, accepting the deflection, and turned back toward the clinic where Li Mei was still waiting.
Evening found Wang Ben alone in his quarters, exhaustion pulling at his bones.
The day had been consumed by politics and protocols. City Lord Huo's investigators had questions. The clan had questions. Everyone wanted to know about the demonic cultivators, about Xue Feng, about what it meant that corruption had walked openly through Redstone's streets.
Wang Ben had answered carefully, revealing enough to satisfy curiosity while concealing anything that might raise more dangerous questions.
Now, in the quiet of his room, he let himself feel the weight of it all.
Xue Feng was dead. A man who had once been a child at the same clan gatherings, who might have been someone different if history had broken otherwise. Now he was just another body, another casualty of forces larger than either of them understood.
And those forces were still moving.
[ANALYSIS UPDATE: Intelligence pattern assessment complete]
[The observation network maintained over Wang Clan compound matches standard Crimson Bastion military reconnaissance protocols]
[Estimated personnel: 6-8 cultivators maintaining rotating coverage]
[Cultivation range: Qi condensation through foundation establishment]
[Command structure: Indicates organized intelligence operation, not independent action]
The Crimson Bastion. A domain capital with more cultivators than Redstone City had residents. Political authority that could make a City Lord's life very uncomfortable. Economic power that could strangle trade routes.
And now they knew about the Shen siblings. Or at least, they knew something protected the Wang Clan.
Wang Ben closed his eyes and thought about the three favors still owed. The first was already in progress, the Youming Sanctuary Array that would protect Shen Ruoxi during her breakthrough attempt. But after that came two more debts, two more times when Shen Wuyan could demand something impossible.
What would happen when those favors were complete? Would the protection continue? Or would the siblings lose interest in a frontier clan that had nothing left to offer?
He didn't have answers. Only the cold certainty that tomorrow would bring new problems, new pressures, and the ever-present awareness that forces beyond his understanding were watching everything he did.
Outside his window, the night deepened over Redstone City.
Far to the south, in the domain's heart, other conversations were taking place.
INTERLUDE: The Assessment
The intelligence chamber beneath Crimson Bastion's military compound had no windows. Jade formation lights provided constant illumination, casting the gathered officers in pale blue radiance that leached the color from their faces. Maps covered one wall, marked with symbols that tracked troop movements, resource flows, and observation points across the domain.
Commander Tie Feng stood at the chamber's center, his core formation cultivation a steady pressure that kept the lesser officers at respectful attention. At four hundred and seventy years old, he had served the domain's intelligence apparatus for three centuries. He had seen wars begin and end. He had watched clans rise and fall. Very little surprised him anymore.
The report from Redstone City had surprised him.
"Asset Xue Feng is confirmed terminated." The speaker was a young foundation establishment officer, nervous despite his attempt at professional composure. "Demonic qi burnout, self-inflicted during a failed offensive action. Our auxiliary successfully extracted on signal."
"Combat data?" Tie Feng's voice was soft, almost pleasant. It made several officers shift uncomfortably.
"Collected and compiled, sir." The young officer handed over a jade slip. "Wang Clan response time was faster than projected. Wang Tian was absent, as arranged, but his son..."
"The boy." Tie Feng examined the jade slip without inserting his spiritual sense. "Seventeen years old. Early-stage qi condensation. Somehow killed a late-stage qi condensation young master who had demonic enhancement."
"He had assistance, sir. Another young cultivator, a retainer. Early-stage qi condensation, but his combat performance was..." The officer hesitated. "Anomalous."
"Explain."
"He moved with prescience that exceeded his cultivation. Anticipated attacks before physical tells were visible. Our auxiliary described it as fighting someone who could see the future."
Tie Feng filed that away. Unusual, but not immediately relevant. "What else?"
"Wang Ben deployed a Grade 7 protective talisman. Golden Bell Shield variant, high quality. Extended duration, capable of blocking foundation establishment attacks."
Now that was interesting. A seventeen-year-old from a declining clan possessed a treasure that most foundation establishment cultivators would covet. Either the Wang Clan had hidden resources, or someone was providing them.
"The auxiliary's extraction," Tie Feng said. "Any complications?"
"None, sir. He retreated on signal without pursuit. The Wang Clan cultivators were focused on their dying enemy." A pause. "Sir, about the asset..."
"Xue Feng was expendable from the moment we provided backing." Tie Feng's voice carried no particular cruelty, just statement of fact. "His value was in forcing a response, not in his survival. He served that purpose."
The officer nodded, though something like discomfort flickered across his face.
Senior Delegate Huang Wei entered the chamber a short while later, his core formation cultivation carefully modulated to project authority without threatening Tie Feng's position. Politics, even in intelligence briefings.
"The Lord Marshal wants a summary by evening," Huang Wei said by way of greeting. "The Domain Lord has taken interest."
Tie Feng suppressed a sigh. Domain Lord Tie Wushan taking interest meant the matter had escalated beyond simple intelligence gathering. It meant decisions would need to be made.
"Tell me what the Lord Marshal knows."
"He knows we lost three delegates in that frontier city eight months ago." Huang Wei's voice was carefully neutral. "He knows we invested over two thousand spirit stones in a clan that is now dissolved. He knows our scouts have identified Phantom Gate signatures near the Wang Clan compound."
"And he wants to know why a minor frontier clan has attracted such protection."
"Precisely."
Tie Feng moved to the map wall, tracing the route from Crimson Bastion to Redstone City. Three weeks of travel for foundation establishment cultivators. Less if they pushed. An insignificant distance, really, yet that insignificant distance had somehow produced complications that were reaching the Domain Lord's attention.
"What we know," he said slowly, "is insufficient for decisive action. The Phantom Gate presence is confirmed, but their interest is unexplained. The Wang Clan has recently produced a foundation establishment breakthrough, reversing a decade of decline. The eldest son displays tactical capabilities that exceed his cultivation. External resources are being provided from unknown sources."
"The Grade 7 talisman."
"Among other things." Tie Feng thought about the reports. About the auction where their delegates had died. About the Xue Clan's collapse and the sudden, inexplicable shift in Redstone's power structure. "Someone is investing in that family. Significant investment. The question is why."
"Does it matter?" Huang Wei's voice sharpened. "They've killed our people. Three core formation delegates. That demands response."
"And if we respond openly and discover that their protector exceeds our capability?" Tie Feng turned to face the delegate. "The Phantom Gate doesn't station operatives in frontier cities for trivial reasons. If they've placed assets in Redstone, there's something in Redstone worth protecting. Something we don't yet understand."
"Then we investigate."
"We are investigating." Tie Feng's patience was wearing thin. "But investigation takes time, and the Lord Marshal wants answers now. So let me propose what we can confirm, and what we should recommend."
He activated a formation on the central table, projecting a three-dimensional image of Redstone City.
"Option one: Direct military action. Overwhelming force to eliminate the Wang Clan and any protectors." He shook his head before anyone could respond. "Rejected. The Phantom Gate's response to three delegates was swift and lethal. If we commit openly, we risk triggering escalation we cannot control."
"Option two: Political pressure through the City Lord." Huang Wei nodded slowly. "Huo Zhenyang is domain-loyal. He would cooperate with official inquiries."
"He would have to. But pressure must be calibrated. Too much, and we reveal our hand. Too little, and we accomplish nothing." Tie Feng marked several points on the projection. "Option three: Continued intelligence gathering. More observers, deeper analysis, patient accumulation of information until we understand what we're dealing with."
"The Domain Lord wants action, not patience."
"Then the Domain Lord will need to choose between action and wisdom." Tie Feng's voice hardened. "I will not recommend committing resources against an unknown threat. Three delegates are already dead. I will not be responsible for adding to that number through premature action."
The chamber was silent for a moment. Huang Wei's expression suggested he disagreed but lacked the authority to overrule.
"There's another consideration," one of the junior officers said hesitantly. "The empire war."
Tie Feng turned. "Elaborate."
"The western front is deteriorating. Azure Dragon Fortress has requested reinforcements twice in the past month. If the Frozen Jade Kingdom's Beast Corps breaks through..." The officer swallowed. "Resources that might address the Redstone situation could be needed elsewhere."
"Frozen Jade's pets." Huang Wei's voice dripped contempt. "Trained beasts and corrupted cultivators. They won't break Azure Dragon."
"They've pushed the line back forty kilometers in the last season." Tie Feng's correction was quiet but firm. "The empire war is not going as well as official reports suggest. Which means the Domain Lord's attention may be divided, and frontier complications become lower priority."
He deactivated the projection.
"My recommendation: Maintain observation, increase surveillance density if possible, and prepare political pressure through City Lord Huo. No direct action until we understand the Phantom Gate's involvement. And for the love of all cultivation wisdom, do not provoke whatever killed our delegates until we know what we're provoking."
Huang Wei looked like he wanted to argue. Instead, he nodded curtly.
"I'll convey your assessment to the Lord Marshal."
"Do that." Tie Feng gathered his materials. "And remind him that the Phantom Gate has survived for six thousand years by not making enemies they couldn't destroy. If they're protecting a frontier clan, it's because that clan offers something valuable. We need to know what that is before we act."
After the delegate departed, Tie Feng stood alone in the intelligence chamber, staring at the map of Blackwood Domain.
Redstone City. A minor frontier settlement. Beast hunting and basic resource extraction. Nothing that should attract attention from powers that operated at continental scale.
And yet.
Three delegates dead. A failing clan suddenly ascending. Phantom Gate operatives appearing where none should be. A seventeen-year-old boy who fought like he had centuries of experience.
Something was happening in Redstone City. Something that didn't fit the patterns Tie Feng had learned to read over three centuries of intelligence work.
He made a note on his personal jade slip: Investigate the boy. Wang Ben. Something about him doesn't add up.
Then he extinguished the formation lights and left the chamber to its shadows.
Morning came cold and bright to Redstone City.
Wang Ben woke to find a message waiting outside his door. The City Lord's office had scheduled an interview for the following afternoon. Formal questions about the incident. Political theater, mostly, but dangerous theater if handled poorly.
He dressed and found his father already in the family's main hall, speaking quietly with Patriarch Wang Tiexin. The old core formation cultivator looked tired, his seven hundred years showing more clearly than usual.
"The Bastion will make inquiries," the Patriarch was saying as Wang Ben entered. "They have authority. Huo Zhenyang cannot refuse them."
"He won't refuse," Wang Tian agreed. "But he can delay. Control the flow of information. Give us time to establish our position."
"What position?" Wang Ben asked, drawing both men's attention. "What can we offer that makes them hesitate?"
Patriarch Wang Tiexin studied his grandson with ancient eyes. "You've grown, Ben'er. A season ago, you wouldn't have asked that question."
"A season ago, demonic cultivators weren't dying in our streets."
"True." The Patriarch rose, his joints protesting the movement. "What we offer is uncertainty. They don't know who protects us. They don't know why. Until they understand, they'll be cautious. Use that caution. Complete your obligations. Strengthen our position. And hope that by the time they decide to act, we've become too valuable to destroy."
He departed, leaving Wang Ben alone with his father.
"The array," Wang Tian said quietly. "How close are you?"
"Close. The theoretical framework is complete. I need to acquire the remaining materials and begin construction."
"Then do it." Wang Tian's hand found his shoulder, squeezed once. "Everything else... the Bastion, the politics, the watching eyes... that's noise. Complete the array. Clear your debt. The rest will follow or it won't, but at least we'll have done what we could."
Wang Ben nodded, but as he left the hall, he couldn't shake the feeling that the wolves of the capital were already circling.
And wolves, he knew, were patient predators.
They could wait.
END OF CHAPTER 70