The Next Step

The siblings briefed Hong Zhao with the gossip they had heard from the villages they were assigned to. He didn't feel like interrupting them, instead he listened intently to see just how much they had grown within the art of espionage. Though they were cultivators within this world, he had taught them the fine details of intel gathering. Hong Zhao smiled as Li Wuhan explained that he had entered a tournament and lost willingly, just to be able to hear the gossip amongst the other cultivators. He had used a faux name when entering, so it was easy enough to leave when he had heard enough. After he left the tournament, he went to a restaurant and ordered a drink. He sat there a better part of the evening just listening to the village's gossip. He had heard anything from Yuan Cui having her third son, to the Village Elder's nephew entering the ninth star student rank within fifteen years of life. Hong Zhao smiled as he listened. The young cultivator had done it all correctly. He left no lasting impressions. He asked no questions which would make others wary of him.

Li Wei had a somewhat similar experience. She ran around with other children her age and played games with them. As she did, she listened to the children's gossip about their parents, yet she heard nothing about strangers coming into town. Hong Zhao laughed as she told him that one of the children's parents had treated them all to some candy while they played. It was slightly more difficult for her to disappear after her night of gathering intel, since the children had grown fond of her, but when they left she was able to make her way to the exit silently.

"Good work, you two." Hong Zhao nodded at the last of Li Wei's brief. "The crisis has been dealt with for the time being. I encountered the two cultivators on my patrol and caught them off guard. For now, we can head back to Rantori Village. We have a lot of planning to do if we are to save much of the village. Even more so, if we are going to unite all of Yuan to the threat within the city." Hong Zhao's expression became serious as he pinned the two with his eyes. "We will need more support from the villages you have already been to. In time, I hope to double, if not triple the size of our supporters."

"How did you deal with the threat?" Li Wuhan's eyes went wide. "They had to have been the same rank as you, if not higher. You should have come back and we would have taken them together."

"It's true that they were stronger than me," Hong Zhao took out his spirit sword from his storage ring. "But with this amplifying my strength, it wasn't something I couldn't have handled." He put it back in his ring and looked up at two surprised looking children. "We have been lucky with our training so far. I can tell that you two are not too far behind my own strength. Soon you will enter the realm of disciple, then we will all be placed at the front of our cause, ready to give our lives to save the ones who are important to us."

"Now that the cultivators have been dealt with, won't the City Lord just send even stronger ones to take out the village?" Li Wuhan's eyes darted to his sister's. "We will not have as much time this time around to deal with them."

"That's why I suggest we head back to Rantori Village and get them prepared for the next stage of the plan." He turned to the door and smiled. "Shadow, are you there?" He knew the panther was. At most times, he could sense his magical beast brother just a few paces away wherever he was. It felt like the feline truly was his shadow.

He didn't have to wait long as a dark blur of motion formed in the doorway and the shadow panther appeared in human form. His round black ears pricked up as he smiled. "Yes, Master. Is there something you wish to be done?"

"How long do you think it would take to make a few more of these houses?" Hong Zhao looked at the magical beast skeptically. He didn't know if his friend had seen him build the house, or if he would be able to replicate the process even if he had seen it.

Shadow tilted his head as if he were considering the question. "Not long if you were here to help, Master." He smiled lazily as he watched his master face-palm.

Hong Zhao sighed. "I thought as much, but it was worth a try at least." He turned to the Li siblings. "We will have to get everyone over here sooner rather than later then. I thought Shadow would be able to handle a village raising himself, but I guess I'm not that fortunate." He smiled wryly. "That just means that we will have to work extra hard to ensure everyone plays their part in the future. There are a lot of buildings that need to be built in a short amount of time."

"Don't you think that putting a workload like that on top of Shadow is a bit unrealistic?" Li Wei looked at the shadow panther with some sympathy. "He is only one person after all. And shouldn't we be preparing for the next attack?"

Hong Zhao's mind flashed through all the things he would need to do before he could activate his shadow sect. There were homes he would have to have build, training grounds to be formed and many other things. He silently praised himself for building the wall around the house as big as he did. He could easily fit Rantori Village within. "We will be preparing, but not in Rantori Village." Hong Zhao smiled as he thought about the plan that was coming into focus. "Let's go get our village."