The morning of the interview dawned gray and cold.
Wang Ben dressed with particular care, selecting formal robes that displayed the Wang Clan's crest without ostentation. His wounds had mostly healed, but a deep ache still lingered in his ribs where Xue Feng's strikes had connected. He ignored it. Today's battle wouldn't be physical.
Wang Tian waited in the main hall, already dressed in his own formal attire. The foundation establishment aura he now carried seemed muted, carefully controlled. A political choice, Wang Ben realized. His father was projecting strength without appearing to threaten.
"Remember," Wang Tian said as Wang Ben approached. "Answer truthfully, but don't volunteer. The City Lord will ask about things he already knows the answers to. He's not looking for information. He's looking for how you respond."
"And if he asks about things he shouldn't know?"
"Then you say you cannot answer, and you don't explain why." Wang Tian's expression was grave. "Huo Zhenyang has ruled this city for eighty-five years. He didn't survive that long by being foolish. He knows there are powers involved that exceed his authority. He won't push you to name them."
"Because he's afraid of them?"
"Because he's smart enough to be afraid." Wang Tian placed a hand on his shoulder. "This is political theater, Ben'er. Play your role well, and we buy time. Play it poorly, and we give our enemies ammunition."
[TACTICAL ASSESSMENT: Interview with City Lord Huo Zhenyang]
[Likely question categories: Attack details (known), defensive resources (probing), allied connections (dangerous), Zhao Yu's capabilities (curious)]
[Recommended approach: Truthful responses on known facts. Deflection on resource origins. Genuine uncertainty on Zhao Yu's abilities (this is actually true).]
[Note: City Lord cultivation core formation class, age approximately 650 years. Political survivor. Will prioritize city stability over external faction demands.]
Wang Ben absorbed the System's analysis. It aligned with what his father had said, which was reassuring. At least his instincts weren't entirely wrong.
The City Lord's compound occupied the heart of Redstone City, a sprawling complex of ancient buildings and cultivated gardens that predated the current administration by centuries. Guards in formal armor lined the entrance path, their cultivation signatures ranging from late-stage qi condensation to early foundation establishment. Impressive for a frontier city, though Wang Ben had seen enough true power now to recognize this as local strength, not continental.
The main hall was already filling when Wang Ben arrived. Not a private audience, then. This was meant to be witnessed.
Clan representatives occupied the gallery seats. Wang Ben spotted Elder Liu from the Huo Clan's local branch, several unfamiliar faces from merchant families, and near the back...
Dao Zhen sat rigid in his seat, First Elder Dao Qingshan beside him. The young patriarch's face was carefully blank, but his eyes tracked Wang Ben with an intensity that felt like physical weight.
[OBSERVATION: Subject Dao Zhen present as observer]
[Analysis: Unusual for vassal clan patriarch to attend proceedings involving liege clan. Likely motivated by personal interest rather than political obligation.]
Wang Ben acknowledged Dao Zhen with a slight nod. The gesture was not returned.
At the hall's far end, seated on a raised platform, City Lord Huo Zhenyang waited. He was an ancient figure, his appearance frozen somewhere in his fifties despite his six and a half centuries of life. Core formation cultivation granted that illusion of timelessness. But his eyes were old in a way that transcended appearance, carrying the weight of decades of political calculation.
"Wang Ben of the Wang Clan." The City Lord's voice carried easily through the hall, amplified by subtle formations. "You are called to give testimony regarding the events of three days past. The attack by demonic cultivators in the physician's quarter. The death of Xue Feng, former heir of the dissolved Xue Clan. And the circumstances surrounding your survival."
Wang Ben stepped forward and bowed formally. "I am here to serve the city's need for truth, City Lord."
"Then let us begin."
The questions started simply enough.
"Describe the attack. Who initiated it? What was their apparent purpose?"
Wang Ben recounted the events clearly. Three demonic cultivators appearing without warning. Their enhanced cultivation, the wrongness of their qi. The assault on the clinic where his mother and brother had sought treatment.
"And Xue Feng?" The City Lord's tone remained neutral. "He joined the attack?"
"He arrived after the initial assault began. His purpose was personal. Revenge for his clan's fall."
"A fall which occurred during the recent conflict between your clan and his." Not a question. A statement of fact, delivered with the weight of official record.
"Yes, City Lord."
A scribe in the corner made notes. Witnesses shifted in their seats. Wang Ben could feel the undercurrents flowing through the room. The City Lord was establishing context, creating a narrative that would be forwarded to the Crimson Bastion. A young master seeking revenge. Demonic backing of unknown origin. Local clan caught in the crossfire.
"The demonic cultivators," Huo Zhenyang continued. "Did you recognize any of them? Had you encountered them before?"
"No, City Lord. They were unknown to me."
"And yet you survived against them. Three demonic cultivators, enhanced beyond their natural limits, against a young man of..." He paused, consulting a jade slip. "Early-stage qi condensation, I believe?"
Here it comes, Wang Ben thought.
"I had resources, City Lord. And assistance."
"Resources." The word hung in the air. "Witnesses report you deployed a protective talisman of significant grade. Golden light, capable of absorbing attacks that should have killed you. Where did you acquire such a treasure?"
"It was a gift from an ally."
"Which ally?"
"I cannot say, City Lord."
The silence stretched. In the gallery, Dao Zhen leaned forward slightly. Others exchanged glances. Everyone knew what that deflection meant. Everyone knew there were only certain types of allies who provided grade seven talismans to seventeen-year-old cultivators from minor clans.
Huo Zhenyang's expression didn't change. "I see. And the assistance you mentioned?"
"My retainer, Zhao Yu. He arrived during the battle and proved... effective."
"Ah, yes." The City Lord's voice carried a new note. Curiosity, perhaps, or concern. "The retainer. We will address him shortly."
Zhao Yu was called forward, and Wang Ben stepped aside to watch from the witness area.
His friend moved stiffly, uncomfortable with the formal setting and the dozens of eyes fixed upon him. He bowed to the City Lord with the awkwardness of someone who had never been trained for court appearances.
"Zhao Yu of the Zhao family, retainer to the Wang Clan." Huo Zhenyang studied him with interest that seemed almost academic. "You are recorded as early-stage qi condensation. A recent breakthrough, I understand?"
"Yes, City Lord. A few months ago."
"And yet witnesses report that during the battle, you killed two demonic cultivators of mid to late-stage qi condensation. Cultivators with enhancement that elevated their effective combat capability even further." The City Lord leaned forward slightly. "How did you accomplish this?"
Zhao Yu's discomfort was palpable. "I... I don't fully understand it myself, City Lord."
"Explain what you do understand."
"During the fight, I could see what they were going to do. Before they did it." Zhao Yu's voice dropped, as if admitting something shameful. "It was like watching from outside my own body. I knew where to move, when to strike. I just... knew."
Murmurs rippled through the gallery. Wang Ben saw Dao Zhen's eyes narrow, calculation replacing the blank mask he'd worn before.
"Combat precognition." Huo Zhenyang spoke the words slowly, testing them. "A rare talent. Some texts describe cultivators with such abilities, though they are uncommon in the extreme."
"I don't know what it is, City Lord. It just happens."
"Has it happened before? In other fights?"
"Sometimes. Not always this strongly." Zhao Yu looked genuinely lost. "I don't know how to control it."
The City Lord studied him for a long moment, then nodded. "You may step back. Your testimony is noted for the record."
As Zhao Yu retreated, Wang Ben caught a glimpse of the scribe's notes. The words "unusual combat awareness" and "precognitive instinct" were clearly visible. That would go to the Crimson Bastion. They would know about Zhao Yu now, would add him to whatever files they were building on the Wang Clan.
Another thread in the web that was slowly tightening around them.
The City Lord dismissed the witnesses with a gesture.
"Clear the gallery. I will speak with Wang Ben privately."
The words sent a new ripple through the observers. Private audiences with the City Lord were rare, reserved for matters too sensitive for public record. Dao Zhen rose with the others, but his gaze lingered on Wang Ben as he departed. First Elder Dao Qingshan had to touch his arm to move him along.
When the hall was empty save for the two of them, Huo Zhenyang's formal mask slipped slightly. What emerged was tiredness. The weight of someone caught between forces he couldn't control.
"That will do for the official record," he said. "Now let us speak plainly."
Wang Ben remained standing, uncertain of protocol. The City Lord waved a hand.
"Sit. This isn't an interrogation anymore."
He sat.
"The Crimson Bastion has taken an interest in your family." Huo Zhenyang's voice was flat, stating facts rather than making accusations. "They lost three delegates after leaving this city eight months ago. They invested heavily in a clan that no longer exists. And now they have scouts reporting that someone... someone they cannot identify... has declared protection over a minor frontier clan."
"I cannot confirm..."
"I'm not asking you to." The City Lord raised a hand. "I'm telling you what I know, so you understand the situation. The Bastion will demand a report on today's proceedings. They will want to know about the talisman, about your mysterious allies, about the retainer with impossible instincts. I am required to provide that report."
Wang Ben felt his stomach tighten. "And?"
"And reports can be... comprehensive or brief. Detailed or summary. They can be sent immediately or delayed for proper verification." Huo Zhenyang met his eyes directly. "I have some discretion in these matters."
"What do you want, City Lord?"
The old cultivator laughed, though there was no humor in it. "What do I want? I want my city to remain stable. I want powers that can crush me with a thought to stay out of my streets. I want the Bastion to stop pressuring me about matters I cannot control." He paused. "I want to survive the next few decades without becoming a casualty of forces I don't understand."
"I can't guarantee any of that."
"No. But you can avoid making things worse." Huo Zhenyang leaned back in his seat. "Keep your protectors quiet. Keep your conflicts contained. Don't give me more bodies to explain or more mysteries to report. If your family can remain unremarkable for a while, I can delay reports, emphasize uncertainty, give you time."
"Time for what?"
"That's your concern, not mine." The City Lord rose, signaling the audience's end. "I'm offering what I can offer, Wang Ben. A buffer between your family and forces that would crush you. Use it wisely."
Wang Ben stood and bowed formally. "Thank you, City Lord."
"Don't thank me. I'm not doing this for you." Huo Zhenyang's voice was tired. "I'm doing it because I don't want to find out what happens if I do anything else."
Outside the hall, Dao Zhen stood apart from the dispersing crowd.
First Elder Dao Qingshan hovered nearby, but the young patriarch's attention was fixed on the doors through which Wang Ben would eventually emerge. His hands were clasped behind his back, knuckles white with tension.
"You should return to the compound," Qingshan said quietly. "There is nothing to be gained by watching further."
"I want to see his face when he comes out." Dao Zhen's voice was carefully controlled. "I want to see if he understands how different his situation is from ours."
"Zhen'er..."
"When we lost Father and Grandmother, no one offered us private audiences." The words came out flat, devoid of obvious emotion, which somehow made them worse. "No one delayed reports on our behalf. The vultures descended before the bodies were cold, and we had to sign away fifty years of our clan's freedom just to survive."
"The circumstances were different."
"Were they?" Dao Zhen finally turned to face his First Elder. "We faced demonic cultivators too. We lost our leaders too. But no mysterious allies appeared with grade seven talismans. No powers declared protection over our compound. We were just... left to suffer."
Qingshan had no response to that. The unfairness of it was too obvious to argue.
The doors opened, and Wang Ben emerged. He looked tired, carrying the weight of political maneuvering in his posture, but there was no defeat in his expression. Whatever had happened in that private meeting, it hadn't broken him.
Zhao Yu waited nearby, and the two of them exchanged words too quiet to hear. Then they walked together toward the compound gates, past guards who nodded respectfully, past merchants who whispered about "the young master who faced the demonic cultivators."
Dao Zhen watched them go.
"Patience," Qingshan murmured. "The First Elder's counsel is always patience."
"And if patience only means watching others prosper while we stagnate?"
"Then we find ways to prosper ourselves. Legally. Carefully. Without drawing the attention that has made the Wang Clan's life so complicated." Qingshan placed a hand on Dao Zhen's shoulder. "Their prominence is a double-edged blade, young patriarch. Powers that protect can also demand. Visibility that shields can also expose. You may find, in time, that obscurity has its own advantages."
Dao Zhen said nothing. But as he turned away from the departing figures, something crystallized in his expression. Not hatred, not yet. But a cold determination that would need somewhere to go.
The walk back to the compound was quiet.
Zhao Yu had testified and been dismissed, his brief moment in the political spotlight clearly unwelcome. He walked beside Wang Ben with the hunched posture of someone who wished he could disappear.
"They're going to know about me now," he said finally. "The Bastion. Whoever else reads those reports."
"Yes."
"I don't even understand what I can do. How am I supposed to explain it to them?"
"You don't have to explain it." Wang Ben kept his voice level. "You told the truth. You don't know how it works. That's not a weakness. It's an honest answer."
"An honest answer that makes me sound like a threat they don't understand."
"Better that than a threat they think they can handle."
Zhao Yu fell silent, processing that. The logic was sound, even if the implications were uncomfortable.
People recognized them as they passed through the market district. Whispers followed in their wake. "That's him, the one who faced the demonic cultivators." "The Wang heir." "They say he has protectors no one can identify."
Fame had a weight to it, Wang Ben realized. A pressure that pushed in from all sides. He had wanted power to protect his family. He hadn't considered that power would make his family a target for everyone who wanted to understand it, control it, or destroy it.
[ASSESSMENT: Political position following inquiry]
[City Lord offering implicit delay in Bastion reporting. Motivation: self-preservation and city stability. Reliability: moderate. Will maintain position only if Wang Clan avoids further visible incidents.]
[Zhao Yu's abilities now entered into official record. Bastion will have access. Likely response: additional observation, possible recruitment attempts, or targeted investigation.]
[Recommendation: Accelerate first favor completion. Demonstration of value to Shen siblings may be necessary to maintain protection.]
The array. Always the array. Everything came back to that.
Wang Ben had theoretical knowledge and most of the materials. What he lacked was time to work without interruption and the final rare components that had been systematically denied him. But the City Lord had just offered a window, however brief. Time to act before the Bastion's attention fully crystallized.
He would have to use it.
"Come on," he said to Zhao Yu. "We have work to do."
Behind them, the City Lord's compound receded into the gray morning. And somewhere in the distance, wolves continued their patient circling.
END OF CHAPTER 71