The Wang Clan's council chamber had not been used for a true emergency meeting in over thirty years.
Wang Ben stood beside his father as the key members of their family filed into the room. The chamber was smaller than the main hall, designed for private discussion rather than formal ceremony. Privacy formations hummed in the walls, and the afternoon light filtered through screens that had been closed to prevent observation from outside.
Patriarch Wang Tiexin took his position at the head of the table. To his right sat Grand Elder Wang Feng, whose late-stage core formation cultivation made him the most powerful cultivator in the clan. The old man's weathered face carried the weight of six centuries, and his eyes held a sharpness that belied his apparent age. Several other senior elders occupied positions further down the table, their foundation establishment cultivations a solid foundation beneath the patriarch's authority.
[ASSESSMENT: Wang Clan leadership assembly]
[Present: Patriarch Wang Tiexin (core formation mid-stage), Grand Elder Wang Feng (core formation late-stage), senior elders (foundation establishment, various stages), Wang Tian (foundation establishment early-stage), Wang Ben (qi condensation early-stage)]
[Note: This assembly represents the clan's true decision-making core]
Wang Ben studied Grand Elder Wang Feng with renewed appreciation. Late-stage core formation was formidable, enough to challenge most opponents the clan might face. The old man's strength had been revealed during the clan war, and it remained the Wang Clan's greatest martial asset.
"We all know why we're here," Wang Tiexin began. "The Bastion's ultimatum gives us three days to respond. We need to decide what that response will be."
"The first three options are impossible," Grand Elder Wang Feng said bluntly. "We can't surrender someone beyond our reach, we can't pay what we don't have, and we can't give away the city's economic foundation. That leaves the formation services arrangement."
"Which is exactly what they want," Wang Tian added. "Ben'er realized it this morning. The demands weren't designed to punish us. They were designed to make the fourth option look like our best choice."
Wang Tiexin nodded slowly. "The Senior Investigator confirmed as much when we spoke privately. The fourth option was added at the Domain Lord's insistence, after pressure from parties connected to the royal court."
"The prince," Wang Ben said.
"Or someone in his faction. The result is the same." The patriarch's ancient eyes settled on Wang Ben. "The question is not whether we accept formation services. The question is on whose terms, and with what protections."
Grand Elder Wang Feng leaned forward. "Walk me through this, Ben'er. Our formation expertise is what they want. What does accepting mean for the clan?"
Wang Ben had been thinking about this since the formal session. "Sixty days per year of consultation services. Priority development rights on our designs. Participation in strategic projects at the domain level. If the prince gets his way, the same obligations would extend to the kingdom's war effort."
"That's a significant portion of our formation masters' time."
"More than that. It's a significant portion of the clan's independence." Wang Ben met the Grand Elder's eyes. "Right now, the clan chooses what formations we develop, who we share them with, how we allocate our expertise. Under this arrangement, those choices would belong to whoever holds the contract."
"But the alternative is worse," Wang Tian said quietly.
"Is it?" Wang Ben turned to his father. "The first three options are impossible, yes. But what if we refuse to choose any of them? What if we simply... don't respond?"
The question hung in the air. Wang Tiexin's expression shifted, something between concern and curiosity.
"Explain your thinking."
"The Bastion can make demands, but enforcing them requires force. Sending cultivators against us, sieging the city, direct military action." Wang Ben's thoughts were racing, patterns connecting in ways that felt both dangerous and necessary. "But the prince has complicated that. If the Bastion moves against us, they're also moving against kingdom interests. The Domain Lord is the king's brother-in-law. He can't afford open conflict with the royal family."
"You're suggesting we use the conflict between them as a shield."
"I'm suggesting we have more leverage than they want us to realize. The formation services option exists because someone powerful wants our capabilities. Multiple someones, apparently. That gives us negotiating power."
Grand Elder Wang Feng's weathered face cracked into something that might have been a smile. "The boy has teeth."
"He has perspective," Wang Tiexin corrected. "But perspective isn't enough on its own. What would you propose, Ben'er? Specifically?"
Wang Ben took a breath, organizing his thoughts. "We accept the formation services arrangement in principle. But we negotiate the terms. Fewer days per year. Limited scope on strategic projects. Clear boundaries on what constitutes 'priority development rights.' And most importantly, we structure the arrangement to serve both domain and kingdom interests, not just one or the other."
"Playing both sides."
"Balancing both sides. If we're useful to both the Bastion and the prince, neither can afford to let the other claim us exclusively. Our position becomes stable because our loss would be someone else's gain."
Wang Tian's expression was thoughtful. "That's a dangerous game. What happens when one side decides we're more trouble than we're worth?"
"Then we need other protections." Wang Ben hesitated. This was the part he had been reluctant to voice. "There's another power that has an interest in our wellbeing. One that neither the Bastion nor the prince can openly challenge."
The room went very still. Everyone knew who he meant.
"Shen Wuyan," Wang Tiexin said.
"We still owe him two favors. He has invested in our family's development. It's not in his interest to see us crushed by domain politics." Wang Ben's voice was steady, but his heart was racing. "If the negotiation fails, if the Bastion decides to move against us despite the complications, we could ask for his assistance."
"And owe him yet another favor in the process."
"Yes. But we'd still be alive to owe them."
Grand Elder Wang Feng was studying Wang Ben with new intensity. "You've thought this through."
"I've had time to think. Not enough time, but some."
The old man turned to the patriarch. "He's not wrong about the leverage. The prince's intervention changed everything. Yesterday we were defendants. Today we're a prize that multiple powers are competing to claim. That's not a comfortable position, but it's better than having no value at all."
Wang Tiexin was silent for a long moment, his ancient cultivation turning inward in ways that Wang Ben couldn't read.
"There's something else to consider," the patriarch said finally. "The Senior Investigator was not pleased about the fourth option. She made that clear in our private conversation. Which means there are factions within the Bastion's own delegation who would prefer a different outcome."
"Factions who want the harder options enforced?"
"Factions who believe the Wang Clan should be punished regardless of political convenience." Wang Tiexin's voice carried warning. "They've lost people. Investments. Face. The fourth option lets us escape consequences that some of them feel we deserve."
Wang Ben felt a chill settle into his thoughts. "You're saying they might try to sabotage the negotiation."
"I'm saying we should be aware of the possibility. Not everyone in that delegation wants this resolved peacefully."
The implication hung in the air. If certain factions wanted the negotiation to fail, they might take steps to ensure that failure. Steps that could include violence.
[THREAT ASSESSMENT UPDATE]
[Previous analysis: Bastion delegation as unified threat]
[Revised analysis: Internal factions with conflicting goals]
[Potential risk: Rogue action by hardliner elements to disrupt negotiation]
[Recommendation: Increase security measures. Monitor for unusual activity]
"We need to be careful," Wang Ben said. "Not just in the negotiation, but in the next three days. If someone wants this to fail, they might try to create circumstances that make peaceful resolution impossible."
"Agreed." Wang Tiexin rose from his position. "We will proceed as follows. I will open formal negotiations tomorrow, proposing modified terms for the formation services arrangement. Grand Elder Wang Feng will coordinate with our Enforcement Hall elders to watch for any unusual activity from the delegation or other parties. Ben'er will prepare a detailed proposal for the modified terms, including specific limitations and protections we require."
"And the Shen siblings?" Wang Tian asked.
"We do not contact them unless circumstances require it. They have their own interests and their own methods. Involving them prematurely could complicate negotiations in ways we cannot predict." The patriarch paused. "But if the situation deteriorates, we will not hesitate to call on whatever resources are available."
Grand Elder Wang Feng nodded slowly. "This is sound thinking. But I have one additional concern."
"Speak."
"The clan's formation capabilities are the prize everyone is fighting for. That makes us both valuable and vulnerable." The old man's eyes swept the room, settling briefly on Wang Tiexin, then Wang Ben. "If someone wanted to disrupt the negotiation, our formation masters would be the obvious targets."
The words settled into the room like stones dropping into water.
"The compound's defensive arrays are already active," Wang Tiexin said. "But we should all limit exposure outside clan grounds until this is resolved. Ben'er especially. You will not go anywhere alone until this matter is settled. Wang Tian will arrange escort, and you will accept it without argument."
There was no room for discussion in the patriarch's tone. Wang Ben inclined his head.
"I understand."
"Good." Wang Tiexin looked around the room at his family, the weight of seven centuries visible in his gaze. "We are not strong enough to defy the Bastion directly. We are not wealthy enough to buy our way out of this. But we are clever enough to find a path through it. That is what the Wang Clan has always done. That is what we will do now."
The meeting dissolved into smaller conversations as details were discussed and responsibilities assigned. Wang Ben found himself standing with his father near the chamber's entrance, the privacy formations still humming their protection.
"You did well in there," Wang Tian said quietly. "The patriarch values your thinking."
"I was just saying what seemed obvious."
"The obvious often isn't, until someone says it." His father's foundation establishment cultivation seemed to warm slightly, a subtle gesture of approval. "But the Grand Elder is right about the danger. Our formation expertise is what they want, and that makes our key people targets."
Wang Ben understood. The clan's formation expertise had drawn attention from powers far beyond Redstone City, and that attention extended to everyone connected to it. Even a junior member could become a target if it meant disrupting the negotiations.
"I'll be careful."
"See that you are." Wang Tian's hand settled on his shoulder, the gesture carrying weight that went beyond physical touch. "I've only just gotten you back, Ben'er. I don't intend to lose you to someone else's political ambitions."
There was something in his father's voice that reminded Wang Ben of the secret they now shared. Wang Tian knew about the System, knew that his son was something more than an ordinary formation prodigy. That knowledge created a bond that political maneuvering couldn't touch.
"You won't lose me," Wang Ben said.
His father's smile was brief but genuine. "See that I don't."
The evening found Wang Ben in his workshop, surrounded by formation arrays and cultivation materials.
He had spent the afternoon preparing the proposal his grandfather had requested, outlining specific terms and limitations for the formation services arrangement. The work was detailed and demanding, requiring him to balance what he could realistically offer against what he needed to protect.
[PROPOSAL SUMMARY: Formation Services Negotiation Terms]
[Consultation days: Counter-proposal of 30 days annually (reduced from 60)]
[Development rights: Limited to defensive applications; offensive array development excluded]
[Strategic projects: Participation limited to design consultation; implementation to be handled by other formation masters]
[Compensation: Requires payment of 500 mid-grade spirit stones annually plus materials costs]
[Duration: 5-year renewable term with mutual exit clauses]
[Protection: Bastion commits to defending Wang Clan interests against external threats during contract period]
The terms were aggressive, but not unreasonable. They left room for negotiation while establishing clear boundaries on what the clan was willing to commit.
A knock at the workshop door interrupted his concentration.
"Enter."
Zhao Yu stepped inside, his qi condensation cultivation steady and controlled. The young warrior had grown significantly over the past year, his body tempering techniques refining his physical capabilities even as his spirit cultivation advanced.
"Wang Ben." He closed the door behind him. "The compound feels wrong tonight. Everyone's on edge."
"You noticed too." Wang Ben paused, studying the young man who had become something between friend and sworn brother. "How are things with your family?"
"Stable. My father's work at the forge continues well. My sister is recovering from her illness."
"Good." Wang Ben hesitated, then made a decision. "Stay a moment. There's something I want to discuss with you."
Zhao Yu's expression shifted to careful attention.
"You've heard about the Bastion's ultimatum?"
"Everyone has. The servants are worried. The guards are on edge."
"With good reason. The next few days are going to be difficult." Wang Ben met Zhao Yu's eyes directly. "I may need people I can trust in ways I haven't before. People who can act quickly if situations change."
"My sword is yours. It always has been."
The words were simple, but the cultivation signature behind them carried weight. Zhao Yu's Battle Soul, the awakened instinct that gave him access to combat reflexes beyond his training, hummed beneath his controlled exterior.
"I know. And I'm grateful." Wang Ben turned back to his formation arrays. "For now, stay alert. Watch for anything unusual. And if something happens that doesn't feel right, find me immediately."
"Understood."
Zhao Yu departed, leaving Wang Ben alone with his work and his thoughts. The proposal was nearly complete, the terms as favorable as he could reasonably argue for. Whether they would be accepted was another matter entirely.
Outside, the summer darkness deepened around the Wang Clan compound. Somewhere in the city, the Bastion delegation was planning their own strategies, considering their own options.
And across the city, in a tea shop that served drinks no mortal should survive, Shen Wuyan was no doubt aware of everything that had transpired. The two favors Wang Ben owed him remained uncollected, their terms undefined.
Three days. Two favors. One path through a maze of competing powers.
Wang Ben returned to his work, and the night pressed on.
END OF CHAPTER 89