36

In the shadows of a distant room, a woman sat completely still, meditating on the wonders of the world. The woman looked to be on the younger side of middle age. Her facial features were regal and beautiful, with porcelain skin and blood-red lips. She wore flowing white robes that barely hinted at the voluptuous body beneath.

The woman took a deep breath, breathing in the Qi of the world and the sensation of connection that she had with her sect. She had founded her organization many years ago, and every time she basked in the connections formed through her efforts, she knew that she had made the right decision.

She had only made one lapse of judgment since she founded the sect. A single dalliance with an unaffiliated cultivator who reminded her of her youth. Of course, that was where the mistake had originated from. For a man who reminded her of her youth had to be as distant, cold, and uncaring as the world had been to her in her younger days.

The heavens must have been watching as she erred that one time. They bestowed upon her a blessing and a curse. She soon found out she was pregnant with the spawn of that aloof man. The child was born safely, and she had given it away to her one-time partner in a moment of grief.

She spent years regretting her decision afterwards. Still, her pride as a cultivator didn't allow her to immediately return to beg for her daughter back. So she watched. She watched over the child as it grew and as the father fell into darkness. Just as she was about to make her move and reclaim her offspring, fate struck.

A young man appeared at the father and child's door. He was about the same age as the child, and the two seemed to instantly hit it off. The woman had watched the scene with a bittersweet feeling in her heart. The young man concluded his business with the father and left, but not before promising the woman's daughter that he would stay in touch.

And the young man stayed true to his promise. Just a few days later, he returned. His second visit would end up flipping the daughter's life completely upside down, but the mother could only hope that the change was for the better.

After the young man had piqued her interest, the mother would dedicate a significant portion of her time to finding out everything about him. She quickly identified him as a young master. He was the heir to a neighboring supernatural faction. He would make a good match for her daughter, the mother reassured herself.

Eventually though, the mother's longing to meet her daughter boiled over. After years of no contact, she finally decided to take action. She tasked one of her subordinates within the sect with making contact with them.

The subordinate was one of the higher ranked girls in her sect. Sure, she was a bit misandric and closed-minded, but what was the worst that could happen? The girl was completely dedicated to making the mother's will a reality. Surely she wouldn't fail in such an important mission…

The woman took another breath, only to be interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Enter," she called.

Her subordinate, the same one she had tasked with contacting her daughter, entered the room. She knelt in front of the mother. Her Qi felt downcast and ashamed. The mother braced herself for bad news.

"This one greets Mistress Yu Long…" the girl said, bowing her head deferentially.

"Rise. You have returned from your mission. Please, tell me what you have to report."

The young girl flinched, barely gathering herself enough to speak, "This one must regretfully report that she was unsuccessful. Her offer was not well received by the Young Mistress Yu Wu, and the… fox Onari…"

The mother sighed motherly, "And how much of that refusal was based on your own disrespect and closed-mindedness, child?... How bad is the damage?"

The girl flinched again, "... Bad… In fact, this one may have permanently burned the bridge between the sect and the two targets…"

"Come now, surely it can't be that bad…"

"This one also must report the deaths of the entire team that was assigned for the mission. Based on what this one saw before she fled, they should all be considered dead and unrecoverable."

Yu Long was quiet for quite a while after that news. When she did speak, it was with a voice filled with resignation, anxiety, and a bit of despair, "I think it's time for me to handle this personally. Maybe… Just maybe… she'll listen to the woman that brought her into this world. Maybe… she'll understand I made a mistake…"