Chapter 81 - City Lord’s Test

After receiving a brief explanation from Zhang Bai, City Lord Zhang moved the assembled group to a more formal receiving hall. "Cultivator Ao Wen," City Lord Zhang began formally. "Before we progress further, I have questions I'd like to ask you. Would you indulge this City Lord?" His words were polite, phrased as a request. His tone, however, remained as sharp as ever, making it as plain as black ink on white paper that there was only one acceptable answer. 

"I will answer what I may City Lord Zhang," Ao Wen said with a polite bow and cupped hands. 

"My son prefers to address you as Drifter when using a cultivator title, but when you broke through shortly after your awakening you became known as a Brawler. Now I'm told that not only are you a Scholar but you're a Novice Scholar and an Alchemy Novice rather than an Initiate. Is all of this true? Are you also an artist?" The City Lord's gaze pierced through Ao Wen like an arrow, all but compelling her to speak. 

"It is true that I pursue three paths City Lord," Ao Wen said diplomatically, choosing her words with care. "There are details of my cultivation and inheritance that cannot be made public, I hope City Lord will forgive the secrets I must keep, but I assure City Lord Zhang that I follow Martial, Mystic, and Scholarly paths and that I am an Alchemist who has earned her Alchemy Novice badge."

"Speak truth on this matter," the City Lord said forcefully. "Did you obtain your Alchemy Novice badge in this Mortal Realm? Is there an open door to another realm, perhaps a mini-realm where time passes faster? If there is such a door…" his voice trailed off while his eyes burned with intensity. Ancient texts referred to mini-realms that would connect to different mortal realms for brief periods of time, bringing with them both riches and ruin for anyone bold enough to delve within. If such a doorway had formed within his territory, it would fundamentally alter the tapestry of Turning Leaf town's fate!

Ao Wen paused, considering her words carefully. The floor thrummed with rich energy and Ao Wen was certain that the floor of the hall contained a formation of some sort, she just didn't know what it would do if the City Lord activated it! "City Lord, there is no open door to another realm, however, it is true that I spent some time in a different realm. While three days passed here, three years passed for me," she said plainly. There was much she wouldn't say but a portion of the truth could be misunderstood to mean she had entered a mini-realm where time moved differently. "In that time, I learned many things." 

"I see," the City Lord said, his shoulders drooping as a moment's excitement passed. Ao Wen had a very fortunate encounter in the den of a Rage Queen. Knowing that such a fearsome beast held territory in the Thundercloud Forest, it made sense that it had been drawn to the energies of some remnant gate or inheritance. Whatever had been there, Ao Wen had the good fortune to encounter it. Since she had needed to ask for supplies from others, it was clear that the only thing she brought back from that mini-realm was knowledge. There wasn't anything to contend for or plunder from the young girl, but there might be knowledge to be leveraged. "You present quite a quandary Alchemy Novice Ao," he said, changing his form of address to acknowledge her status. "None can verify the truth or falsehood of your experience. You have leveled a deadly accusation at another Alchemy Novice. You have done so after promising rare and extraordinary alchemy services to many of the young heroes of our town," he explained, making the matter larger in scope and scale. "An outsider might feel that you were attempting to supplant Alchemy Novice Mao and that your accusation is aimed to discredit a competitor."

"City Lord," Feng Xi spoke up. "Ao Wen is my sworn sister, she only spoke up to save my father from certain doom. She has already treated him to an extent and he is much better than he was before her treatment," Feng Xi all but pleaded with the City Lord. As an Understudy, she was entitled to a fair amount of pride and prestige in Turning Leaf town. In front of a Formation Master like City Lord Zhang, however, she was wise enough to take a step back. "My sister would not lie about this," she finished. 

"Wouldn't lie about this?" Mao Ailum smeared. It was too late to find help from Dragon Soldier Long Ma, all he could do now was play the hand he had been dealt and keep doubling down! "She claims to have entered a mystic realm of legends and spent three years to accomplish what takes most alchemy students a full decade to do. I doubt she could pass an Alchemy Initiate exam much less an Alchemy Novice exam! I just wanted to help," he declared loudly as though volume alone could make his statements true. "I offered improved medicine and when I heard Feng Lieren had taken a turn for the worst, I pleaded for a family treasure to save his life! I want nothing more than to forge closer ties with the Feng family, to take Fairy Feng as my bride, and to see Master Feng live to dote on many grandchildren. This is one fantastical lie after another from a silly girl who doesn't even have a cauldron to light, much less an Alchemy Novice badge!" 

"It is true," the City Lord said as he stroked his long beard. "Alchemy Novice Ao has made extraordinary claims about what she can do with her alchemy skills. In this instance, I think that Madame Ye Kexin was most wise to engage this City Lord to examine her capabilities to see if she has the ability to make such claims. Alchemy Novice Ao, will you submit to this City Lord's exam?"

"City Lord," Ao Wen said, struggling under the gaze of the City Lord. It felt like the edges of dozens of sheets of paper were perched on her skin as though a sharper word from the imposing figure would inflict her with countless papercuts and that there was nowhere she could move that would be free of that dangerous gaze. "My only goal is to protect my sworn sister's family and to claim revenge on those who harmed them. If taking City Lord's exam will meet my goals, then City Lord may command me."

"Good, clear-headed for one so young," he said stroking his beard. "But I will not grant revenge to anyone in this city!" When he spoke, his aura sharpened and half a dozen small cuts appeared on Ao Wen's arms. "Revenge is endless. Revenge is claimed by those who cannot seek justice. Revenge is necessary when those responsible for dispensing justice are too weak to face the consequences of doing so. Alchemy Novice Ao, are you calling this City Lord weak?" 

Dark eyes filled her vision as City Lord Zhang focused all of his attention on Ao Wen, the remainder of the room fading away into darkness as the Master Scholar exerted the power of a fourth-stage cultivator. If ever Ao Wen had needed a reminder that she was no longer Cong Daiyu, this moment hammered the point home. Cong Daiyu had commanded Formation Masters and Martial Champions not because she was stronger than them but because she had the hierarchy of the sect and her status as a Holy Healer. Cong Daiyu had been further along in both her Mystic and Scholarly cultivation than Ao Wen was and even then, she'd only killed Independent Alchemist Chu through the use of a surprise trap and the Dragon Flame she'd been gifted by Cong Houzi. Despite living that life, Ao Wen wasn't Cong Daiyu, and being forceful with someone who greatly surpassed her current cultivation and far eclipsed her current status was a horrible mistake. 

"Alchemy Novice Ao Wen apologizes for her poor choice of words," she managed to force out, bowing with cupped hands. "I beg the City Lord grant me the opportunity to prove that my accusation has merit and dispense justice befitting the power of City Lord Zhang," she said, borrowing the kinds of flattering words she'd often heard directed at her adopted mother Cong Houzi. The words tasted bitter on her tongue but at the moment, she had no others she could use. 

"Much better," City Lord Zhang said, withdrawing his aura with a sound like rustling pages being shuffled back into place. "The test I propose should be simple given the accomplishments attributed to you and the claims that you have made," he continued, gesturing at a door to the side where a woman stepped into the room. 

The woman possessed an alluring beauty belying her status as a mother of two teenage children. Though past her blushing spring, few lines could be seen on her porcelain features. Her willowy frame moved with an innate elegance, every gesture echoing refinement nurtured carefully over years of study and practice.

Lustrous hair the color of a raven's wing tumbled loosely about her shoulders, secured only by a crescent moon hairpin of luminous white jade. Its pale glow set off the inky cascade, creating the mysterious allure of a moonlit sky. Dark silk embroidered with silver crows veiled captivating curves, their spread wings echoing the crescent gleam above. Her long and elegant fingers carried faint ink smudges and a silver charm bracelet hung from one wrist with charms representing the four treasures of the scholar's studio. 

"This is my beloved second concubine Wan Yue," the City Lord said, his tone much more gentle than before. "As a Scholar, she's one of the few people I've met whose mind challenges me routinely and I've stolen many years from her cultivation by asking her to raise two children. Now that our daughter is approaching the age to attempt her own awakening, it's time for Wan Yue to make more time for her own cultivation but she's been unable to break through to the Novice stage despite every effort. We believe there may be something afflicting her that prevents her from stepping further on her journey. Cure her of this mysterious affliction and this City Lord will grant you the justice you seek," he promised, dark eyes never moving away from Wan Yue from the moment she entered the room. 

At this moment, the City Lord truly wasn't sure if this could be considered justice or not. Proper justice would no doubt involve summoning a Grandmaster Alchemist from Red Moon City with delays of days and great expense. At the moment though, he didn't care. If Ao Wen could help his Wan Yue breakthrough, could help ensure that he had his precious glowing moon with him for many more years to come, he would accept her testimony without argument. It would be best if her claims were true, but in this matter, even if it was a fabrication, he wouldn't care, as long as she helped Wan Yue!