Ave Xia Rem Y

~~~

The Internal Force.

Their job was to monitor all other disciples and report their actions so that points may be given or taken away as necessary. They were a stealthy and efficient unit that reported only to the Division of Internal Disputes.

However, that all changed once the bracelets were introduced.

Since the bracelets each disciple wears can more easily keep track of everyone’s points, the need for the Internal Force greatly diminished. Eventually, they were phased out entirely, leaving the Division of Internal Disputes with far less power than before.

“That old fool Dang has always been bitter about it,” Elder Xue had told Liu Jin once the feast was over. “Still, I never imagined he’d manage to bring it back like this.”

It takes but a few days for the Internal Force to start patrolling the compound once more. For some, it is their first time seeing them in action. Others are already familiar with them. Regardless, the extreme violence with which they stop infractions makes an impact on everyone.

“We have brought three new infractors!”

Three unconscious, heavily wounded bodies are unceremoniously dropped in the main lobby of the Medical Pavilion. The sight has become increasingly common over the past few days. Many of the disciples either glare or back away from the members of the Internal Force.

The disciple looks more at home in the black robes and yellow sash of the Punishment Force than he ever did wearing the red and white robes of an Inner Disciple.

“We’ll collect them after they are treated, so they can serve their sentence in the Punishment House.”

“Is that so?” Liu Jin asks, walking to greet Bei Hong. It is mere luck that he is in the lobby right now. He’d just come down to pick up some paperwork. “And what exactly is it that they did?”

“They tried to go over the three guaranteed challenges.” Bei Hong picks his ear with disinterest. “It seems everyone is trying to do that lately.”

Liu Jin looks down at the three disciples Bei Hong and the other members of the Internal Force have brought in. The members of the Medical Pavilion are already putting them on stretchers.

“I cannot help but notice they are all Disciples from the Exploration Division.”

“That they are.”

“The other day, you brought me disciples from the Armory.”

“That I did.”

“And from the Apothecary earlier still.”

“There is quite a bit of rule-breaking.”

“Yet, somehow, none of the disciples the Internal Force has brought here are from Internal Disputes or External Relations.”

Liu Jin crosses his arms. Bei Hong stares back at him, unflinching.

“I sense you are trying to make a point, but I am far too simple to see it.”

“No,” Liu Jin says, his stare flat. “No, you are not.”

“No, I am not,” Bei Hong agrees, nodding.

Liu Jin sighs.

“Isn’t this beneath you?”

“I am simple,” Bei Hong says, entirely without shame. “I am told to beat people up. I beat people up. If I do it enough times, someone strong enough to be worth my time will appear. You should try it sometime, Jin. You look stressed.”

Despite himself, Liu Jin snorts. “Finding people strong enough to be worth my time has never been an issue. Rather, it seems there’s an increasing abundance of them lately.”

“Oh?” Both of Bei Hong’s eyebrows rise. “How enviable your life must be. Maybe I chose the wrong side.”

“You can still switch if you wish to.”

If Bei Hong’s comment draws worried looks from his fellow Internal Force members, Liu Jin’s further scandalizes them. However, they need not worry. Bei Hong shakes his head in the end.

“No. That would not work.” Bei Hong places a fist over his heart. “I am not a man whose loyalty switches as easily as the day turns to night. Besides, if I did, Huang Shing would be even angrier.”

Ah, so that time had already arrived.

“He’s quite cross with you, but it shall pass,” Bei Hong reassures him. “He’s not half as stubborn as I.”

Bei Hong laughs before they are interrupted.

“I had wondered why a mere drop-off was taking you all so long. Now I see the reason, yet I do not understand it. Junior Brother Bei, why do I find you talking and laughing when there is still work to be done?”

The tall, pale disciple that walks in is Bu Jing, the former disciple of the Medical Pavilion that Liu Jin competed against during the feast.

“I lost track of time talking to a friend, senior brother.”

As expected of Bei Hong. It is an explanation but not an apology. Judging from the way Bu Jing’s eyes narrow, he realizes that as well.

“Friend?” Bu Jing echoes the word with distaste. “Junior, you are a member of the Internal Force. There is hardly any need to associate with someone who has so thoroughly disgraced the Medical Pavilion.”

“Disgraced the Medical Pavilion?” Liu Jin steps forward before Bei Hong can say anything. “Senior Brother Bu, how exactly has this junior disgraced the Medical Pavilion? I can scarcely imagine it is my skill that Senior Brother is talking about. Otherwise, Senior Brother, whose skills were judged inferior to my own in front of the Elders, would have been disgracing the Medical Pavilion for far longer than I.”

Bu Jing’s eyes narrow.

“Elder Xue’s disciples have no manners, it seems. Is that how you talk to your seniors?”

“I was unaware the truth was something to conceal from my seniors. This junior thanks his senior for such crucial guidance.” Liu Jin inclines his head. “This junior will endeavor to be less honest from now on when talking to senior brother.”

“Less honest?” Bu Jing scoffs. “How can someone whose lies led to Elder Cheung’s demise and removed his guidance from the Medical Pavilion could possibly be less honest!”

Liu Jin blinks.

Does Bu Jing truly believe the words he just spoke?

If so, Liu Jin cannot help but wish he had not been so deliberately hostile.

“Senior Brother,” Liu Jin says slowly, “Elder Cheung’s guilt was proven before all. Surely you cannot think this junior is capable of deceiving our wise Elders.”

It occurs to him a little too late that his words might be taken as a taunt. Indeed, the way Bu Jing’s brow creases tells Liu Jin that Bu Jing has undoubtedly taken them as such.

“I wonder. Junior, I feel the urge to give you some guidance. Please, step outside so that we may begin.”

“I am afraid that cannot happen.”

“You dare refuse a challenge?” Bu Jing asks, drawing himself to his full height.

“A disciple is only forced to accept three challenges a day,” Liu Jin lifts his bracelet. A jolt of Qi makes two numbers appear over it: the number of guaranteed challenges he has issued today and the number of guaranteed challenges he can still receive. Both are zero. “I am afraid Senior Brother should have come earlier if he wished to impart his wisdom on me. It would be improper of me to aid a member of the Internal Force in rule-breaking.”

Oh, dear. It seems he cannot stop taunting Bu Jing. Has he been unconsciously taking out his frustrations on the people around him to the point it had become routine?

How vexing.

“You lift your bracelet as proof?” Bu Jing scoffs. “They have been malfunctioning lately.”

“So I hear, yet I have never once seen it happen.”

No one speaks. No one in the room can take their eyes off their staredown.

Bu Jing is in the Third Level of the True Realm.

Liu Jin is only in the First Level of the Spirit Realm.

The difference between them is more than an entire Realm. If they were to fight, Liu Jin would certainly lose. There is not a single person who does not understand that.

However, Liu Jin can no longer be challenged.

If Bu Jing forces a fight, he would be breaking the rules. The consequences of doing that would be many and far-reaching. Even the immediate consequences would be unpleasant for everyone.

That is why there is only one way in which this can end.

Bu Jing blinks first.

“We are done here.” He turns around. “Let us not waste any more time.”

As Bu Jing and the other members of the Internal Force leave, more than one relieved sigh fills the room.

~~~

“Why is it that I must miss the times when you unchain that temper of yours?” Lu Mei asks him later that day. Liu Jin’s head is on her lap, and her hands play with his hair. To the side, Soaring Feather sleeps on a perch that has grown too small for him. “It is quite inconsiderate of you.”

“Do not make it sound as though me losing my temper is a good thing.”

“I see no reason to believe otherwise. All the accounts I have heard so far have been… intriguing.”

Liu Jin is quite certain intriguing is not the word Lu Mei has in mind.

“Perhaps you should consider it a compliment?”

“Oh?” Lu Mei leans forward. The motion makes it easier to meet her eyes but also invites Liu Jin to look elsewhere. "How so?”

“If I do not lose my temper when I am around you, it is because I enjoy being with you.”

The light red that colors her cheeks is incredibly rewarding. Liu Jin cannot say whether he likes a blushing Lu Mei better than a teasing one, but he does enjoy making her blush.

“Flattery. Oh, I do enjoy the sound of that.” Lu Mei recovers quickly and puts on her best haughty smile. “Do tell me more good things about myself.”

“I saw Bei Hong today.”

Lu Mei’s hands, which have been playing with his hair, freeze.

“That is not something about myself.”

“If things keep going this way, there is no doubt we’ll have to fight the Internal Force sooner rather than later.”

Lu Mei pokes his cheek. “You keep speaking about things that are not me.”

“I already said I’d be the one to deal with Bei Hong when the time comes, so...”

Her fingers over his mouth silence him.

“Please, do not let your nobility lead you astray. If you fight Bei Hong, by all means, maim him as much as you want.” She smiles sadly. “He’d find a way to be offended if you were to hold back.”

Liu Jin thinks that over for a second.

“He would, wouldn’t he?”

“Almost definitely.” Her face grows serious. “Besides, foolish though he may be, Bei Hong is not someone that can be taken lightly.”

“It seems none of our problems can be taken lightly.” Liu Jin holds her hand. “Please, tell me your day was better than mine.”

“Unfortunately, I seem to have acquired some of your bad habits. I visited Elder Xue today.”

Liu Jin blinks.

“Is it about the spies?”

It would be nice if all the disciples working in the Medical Pavilion now were loyal to Lord Feng Gui, but things are rarely so simple. The Medical Pavilion was originally neutral, but that didn’t mean all the disciples within its walls were. After Elder Xue gained control, some of the disciples loyal to Lord Feng Shang chose to stay behind but did not switch sides.

They chose to stay behind to spy on the Medical Pavilion.

It has been the duty of many disciples, including Lu Mei, to ascertain everyone’s loyalties over the past few weeks.

However, if this were about that, Lu Mei wouldn’t have needed to go to Elder Xue.

“Nothing like that,” Lu Mei says, confirming his thoughts. “We talked about you. I do hope you appreciate that I spoke with such a terrifying woman for your sake.”

“My sake?” He tries to get up, but Lu Mei’s hands on his shoulders stop him. “What did you do?”

“I might have told her that being in the Medical Pavilion all the time is a poor use of your skills.” Lu Mei looks away when he tries to meet her eyes, her voice only a shade away from nervousness. “And that it would be for the best if you were given time to cultivate in peace.”

“I see.” Liu Jin takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. “And how did that go?”

Lu Mei raises an eyebrow.

“Far be it from me to complain about such a reasonable question, are you not angry with me for going behind your back?”

“I am,” Liu Jin says calmly. “I also figure it is best if I wait until the end to see what I should be most angry about. Besides, you have a very comfortable lap.”

“It is quite exquisite,” Lu Mei says, a smile tugging at her lips.

“What did Elder Xue say?”

“I doubt she’d know anything about my lap.”

He glares at her. “That is not what I meant, and you know it.”

Lu Mei’s smile falters. “Elder Xue agreed with me. Should you wish for it, you will be given two weeks of isolation training.”

“I thought the isolation chambers were booked until next year?”

“So did I, but it seems there are rooms in the Apothecary that can be used for the same purpose.”

Obvious, in hindsight.

Each of the four main divisions probably have secret isolation chambers. The main house most definitely does.

“Interesting.” Liu Jin rises. This time, Lu Mei does not stop him. “However, this was not your decision to make.”

“It is indeed your decision to make,” Lu Mei admits, meeting his stare with unusual seriousness. “I cannot force you to accept isolation training. I can only tell you you’d be a complete fool to refuse it.”

Her face softens.

“Jin, as busy as I have been, you have been twice as much. I cannot deny Elder Xue placing so much responsibility on you has had some advantages. However, you are now carrying far too many burdens and have far too many eyes on you. The Medical Pavilion is eating up too much of your time.”

Liu Jin frowns. “If I am gone-”

“Then what? Do you really think your orders will be disobeyed the second you leave this place? Certainly, you do not benefit from universal approval, but there are plenty of others who can see to it that things are kept running smoothly. It is not up to you to do everything. In the first place, is running the Medical Pavilion truly what you wish to do? Have my eyes deceived me so badly that I did not realize you were a man of such small ambition?”

Is running the Medical Pavilion what he truly wishes?

Maybe in another life. Yes, perhaps in another life he could have been satisfied with running a little clinic like his father did.

But that life is not this life.

Helping run the Medical Pavilion is simply something that happened to fall on his lap. Enjoyable as some aspects of it have been, Liu Jin’s true goal is much further away.

“You are right,” he admits.

“A good woman often is.”

Liu Jin chuckles. “I am not sure good is the right word, but thank you, I…”

He trails off, unsure of how to best word this.

So, he leans in and kisses her instead.

It is a short kiss, hardly the first one or the most passionate between them. Still, its suddenness catches Lu Mei off guard and leaves her face warm.

He really does like seeing her blush

“Thank you,” he repeats. “I will have to talk to Khong Hu to prepare things, but it is not a bad idea.”

He might even prepare a cultivation pill. He certainly has more than enough points to purchase the ingredients for one. It wouldn’t even be necessary to use the ingredients in his pouch.

“In fact, if there are really other isolation chambers within the Apothecary, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for you to use one as well.”

Lu Mei holds up her hand to stop him.

“As much as I appreciate the thought, I’d rather not spend more time than necessary near that terrifying woman,” she says. “I truly do not understand how you can get along with someone like that.”

Liu Jin smiles.

“Unfortunately, it seems I have an affinity for people like that.”

~~~

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