Wang Tiexin, the clan patriarch, opened his eyes while his son Wang Tian sat beside him.
Wang Tiexin looked toward the treatment-hall door, then across the room before turning back to him.
"Tian."
"I'm here, Father."
"Where is Mei? Is she all right?"
Wang Tian's hand tightened against his knee. Several breaths passed before he answered.
"I don't know."
"Tell me what happened," Wang Tiexin said, his voice low and clear.
"I don't know what happened to her," Wang Tian said. "After you were knocked unconscious, her cultivation began to rise."
Wang Tiexin frowned. "What do you mean?"
"She broke through to foundation establishment," Wang Tian said. "Then her cultivation kept rising."
Wang Tian paused. "I was standing right in front of her, trying to get her to answer me. Ben was moving you onto the treatment bench. By the time he had laid you down, she had reached early-stage core formation."
Wang Tiexin stared at him.
"The more I spoke to her, the more she seemed to be looking through me." Wang Tian's voice roughened. "Then she left the treatment room without answering. When the pressure around her surged in the courtyard, even Grand Elder Wang Feng could only brace himself. Then a tribulation cloud gathered above her."
Wang Tiexin drew a sharp breath. "A tribulation cloud? But the first heavenly tribulation comes with a breakthrough to mortal shedding."
"I know," Wang Tian said. "Pale light stretched over the rooftops. It looked like a grand formation had spread over Redstone. When the first bolt fell, it struck the light before it reached Mei. Part of the lightning raced away over the city."
"The strikes kept coming, stronger each time," he continued. "The windows shattered, and the last bolt left a crater in the courtyard. When the clouds began to break apart, her pressure had stopped rising."
Wang Tian fell silent.
"Did she speak to you after that?" Wang Tiexin asked.
"Not a word. But when Chen began crying in the house, she went straight to him."
Wang Tian swallowed.
"I followed her across the family courtyard. She already had Chen in her arms when I reached the doorway. I told her to put him down and reached for her arm, but her pressure drove me back."
His voice dropped. "She came back out carrying Chen, crossed the courtyard, and rose into the air. We watched her fly beyond the estate wall until they disappeared behind the rooftops."
His father's brow creased. "How could she fly? Mortal shedding cultivators cannot do that."
"I don't know how she did it," Wang Tian said. "I don't know where they went, either."
After a time, Wang Tiexin said, "And Ben?"
"He's on his feet," Wang Tian said. "He reached Chen before I did. He told me Mother handed Chen to him, and he tried to keep Mei from taking him. She forced Chen from his arms and pushed him into a low table in the room."
"How is Shuwen?" Wang Tiexin asked.
"She wasn't hurt. Ben bruised his ribs. I've given him pills, and he should recover with rest."
His father breathed out slowly. "And the clan?"
"Several buildings were damaged. The wounded are being cared for."
Wang Tian took out a Vitality Restoration Pill.
"Take this, Father. Then you should rest."
He held it to his father's lips. Wang Tiexin swallowed the pill and closed his eyes.
Wang Tian remained beside him. Outside the closed door, footsteps crossed the courtyard and passed on.
...
The next time Wang Tiexin woke, he did not look toward the door.
He lay still for several breaths with his eyes closed. His brow tightened before he opened them again.
"I cannot extend my spiritual sense."
Wang Tian set down the cup of water he had been holding.
"The backlash damaged your meridians and injured your spiritual sense," he said.
His father's fingers pressed into the bedding, then eased.
"Then even if my meridians heal, I may still be unable to work with formations," Wang Tiexin said solemnly.
"Spiritual-sense injuries are as difficult to heal as soul injuries," Wang Tian said. "I do not know a pill that can mend yours, but I will keep looking."
He kept his hand around the cup.
"I have a recipe for the Meridian Renewal Pill. I had meant to wait until I earned my grade-seven certification and spent more time studying at the Guild before attempting it."
He let go of the cup without lifting it.
"But I have refined a grade-seven pill before. With the spirit fire, I believe I can refine this one too. I want to try it now, Father. It is meant for less severe meridian damage, so I cannot promise how much it will help you."
Wang Tiexin was quiet for a while.
"I cannot tell you how long either injury might take to heal, or how fully," Wang Tian said.
Wang Tian lowered his gaze to the water.
"Tian," his father said.
He looked up.
"You do not have to answer everything today," Wang Tiexin said.
His father's hand settled over his. "I am still here, Tian."
"Who is directing the recovery work?" Wang Tiexin asked.
"Grand Elder Wang Feng."
"Let Feng see to it," Wang Tiexin said. "Tell him not to delay the work waiting for me."
"I will tell him."
"Go and study the recipe," Wang Tiexin said. "Ask your mother to come and sit with me for a while."
Wang Tian lifted the cup and held it steady until his father had finished.
...
When Wang Feng came to the treatment hall, his brother was awake. Chen Shuwen sat beside the bed with one hand resting over her husband's.
Wang Feng stopped inside the doorway.
"Brother."
Wang Tiexin turned toward him. "Come and sit, Feng."
Wang Feng brought another chair over and sat on the other side of the bed.
"How are you feeling?"
"Tired," Wang Tiexin said. "But I am glad you came."
Wang Feng rested a hand on the edge of the bed.
"I was afraid you would not wake."
Chen Shuwen lowered her eyes to her husband's hand.
Wang Tiexin reached across the bedding and touched Wang Feng's wrist.
"It must have been hard on you both."
Neither answered at once. Wang Feng moved his chair a little closer.
"We can talk another time if you need to rest," he said.
"I would like to hear what happened," Wang Tiexin said. "Tian told me about the tribulation. How badly was the city damaged?"
"Redstone is still standing," Wang Feng said. "The grand formation is gone. It was demonic. Many of the people we helped said it had been drawing out their qi. The drain stopped when it broke. If it had lasted, it could have drained us all dry."
His brother let out a long breath and rested his head back against the pillow.
"There were fires in the streets beside the estate," Wang Feng continued. "We put out the one nearest the gate. Wang Hao brought back word of wounded people and houses that were unsafe to enter."
"How much of the city have we heard from?" Wang Tiexin asked.
"Our first count covered the compound and two nearby streets," Wang Feng said. "Even that was incomplete. I told Daiyu to mark what we had not reached before sending it to the City Lord's people."
Wang Feng leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees.
"I cannot give you a count of Redstone's dead and wounded yet. Or tell you how many homes can still be lived in."
"Who is seeing to the rest of the city?" Wang Tiexin asked.
"The City Lord's people are gathering the accounts," Wang Feng said. "I am keeping ours at work in the streets around us. We have been sending water out and taking wounded people in."
Wang Tiexin listened without interrupting.
"Some of those families have nowhere safe to sleep," Wang Feng said. "I worry most about the mortals. They may go back to a house because it is still standing, without realizing the roof could collapse while they sleep."
"They can stay with us," Chen Shuwen said. "We have made room."
Wang Tiexin looked toward the closed door, then back at his brother.
"Then it is good they have somewhere to stay."
Chen Shuwen's hand remained over his. He turned his palm beneath hers.
"Thank you both," he said.
Wang Feng rose from his chair.
"Stay a little longer," Chen Shuwen said.
He glanced toward the door, then sat down again.
Chen Shuwen drew the bedding back over her husband's hand. Wang Feng stayed beside them.
His brother closed his eyes, though he opened them when Wang Feng shifted in the chair.
"Still here," Wang Feng said.
Wang Tiexin smiled faintly and closed his eyes again.
When Wang Feng eventually stood, Chen Shuwen looked up at him.
"Come and sit with us again when you can."
"I will," Wang Feng said.
Wang Feng closed the door gently behind him and went back across the courtyard.