Yuan Shu, the Snow Leopard

"My apologies. I failed to recognize a Master of the War Dance." Ishita lost that superiority in her voice and became truly humbled.

The room was overtaken by a loud silence. Ziyuan looked at Ishita with curious eyes.

'This lady might know a thing or two,' he thought in his heart, yet he didn't deny or accept anything. Instead, he remained silent.

"What's a War Dance?" the young man asked.

"A conversation you can have on your own time." Ziyuan replied, "Miss Bawa, please continue."

"I…I can't assess them. I have never seen sigils like these." she spoke honestly. "The script and configuration is foreign to me. Besides the materials of Sandalwood, Anglo Horn, Stead's Knot, and Scarlet's eye, I can't determine anything else."

Ziyuan wore a hidden smirk, pleased that she could decipher as much as she had.

"They are Supreme Grade Class 2 Enchantments. Can your house manage their sale?" He asked.

The young man didn't know much about Sigilist, but he understood the value of the armaments based on their classification and his mind became dizzy.

"Of course." Ishita replied without hesitation, "But.."

"But?"

"There's a higher elder present for the quinquennial auction…"

"Ahh." Ziyuan nodded, "Do what you have to. You can find me in my booth, I plan to buy during the auction this evening."

"Certainly, Lord Artist." Ishita turned to the young man, "See him to the Datura Suite."

Ziyuan left the room confident in his work. Even more so now that he learned of the higher elder.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Umm, Lord…" the young man spoke as he led the way.

"What is it?" Ziyuan asked, nonchalantly.

"I was wondering if you can explain the War Dance?"

"You're a bold one…" Ziyuan was amused, " What's your name?"

"Kong Mun Huin" he replied with a stammer.

" What do you know of Sigilist?" Ziyuan asked.

"Classifications. Elder Bawa calls them a broken people because many factors determine their power and they can never be underestimated." Kong Mun Huin replied.

" Then you know sigils have nine classes and four grades within each. Be they arrays, enchantments, seals, and so on. They're all subject to it. We also share classification with craftsmen and alchemists…"

"But you're nothing like them." Kong Mun Huin added.

Ziyuan tittered, "Simply because our basics are broader. The strongest armament known is the Eros Kingdom's Twelve Winged Battle Armor. It's a Perfect Grade Class 8. However, the strongest Sigils created in the current era are those of the Class 5 Arrayist and Master of the Tower of Seals, Xuan Yi…

Like our work, the classes also rank us as Sigilists. However, our rank is not exclusive to our cultivation. Sigilist like alchemists can create products that affect warriors and mages far above our standing. My armament for example. If they were created by a fourth stage novice, then that novice would be a great talent because a supreme grade class 2 armament has enough power to deliver a deadly blow to an adept level warrior."

"That…That's five small realms of cultivation!'' The young man was gobsmacked.

"Exactly," Ziyuan chuckled, " Even when lacking in both spiritual and arcane energy, the occupation is full of factors that help bridge and cross the gap. Now take what I told you and apply it to the four jobs of the Sigilist: Enchanters, Arrayists, Binders, and War Dancers."

The man shivered and then he frowned, "War Dancer is a specialty. I've never heard of it before today."

"That's because War Dancers are extremely rare on this continent and the qualifications are the epitome of what makes a sigilist broken. The harmony of Arcane and Spiritual power, the fluidity in sigil construction which allows the flow of power, determines endurance, and quality of work."

"That's why Elder Bawa was so vexed by your sigils…" Kong Mun Huin muttered.

"Precisely. Once one becomes a war dancer, their sigils become personal, distinct from the basic configurations taught to the common Sigilist. It's their own writing system created to express their deepest knowledge and intent." Ziyuan explained like a professor, nonchalantly and looking for signs of a good seed in Kong Mun Huin.

"So War Dancers' enchantment is superior to those an Enchanter could produce?"

"If the Enchanter is an amateur, yes. But a master of enchantment will eventually form his own style as well. Only by mastering calligraphy, harmony, and intent can Sigilist ascend the ranks. Of course, they should have ample Spiritual and Arcane energy to back them as the three factors can only take them so far." Ziyuan finished, reflecting on his recent sigil creation.

"What exactly is Spirit…"

"It seems we've arrived." Ziyuan interrupted once they approached a door labeled Datura Suite.

The young man sighed and gave a respectful bow.

"Thank you, Lord," he said.

"It was my pleasure. Many misunderstand what a Sigilist is. Even the Sigilists themselves." Ziyuan spoke, his smirk hidden beneath his mask.

"What are they really?" Kong Mun Huin

"I've told you already," Ziyuan spoke as he moved to his suite, leaving the young man perplexed.

Alone, Ziyuan recalled his days with his master. When he was first introduced to Sigils it was like seeing the world with his eyes finally. But when he stepped into higher classes is when his third eye opened he realized what true sigil creation was.

Oh, how much he missed those hard and painful days, chock full of discovery and wonder. Ziyuan wore a warm nostalgic smile for a few breaths before reeling himself in.

"A Sigilist is a master of Expression," he muttered as his power gushed forth.

In a few moments, a stream of sigils beautifully drawn swirled around the room and stamped themselves on all four walls. In a moment, the preexisting formations shattered and all privacy within the room was completely controlled by Ziyuan.

All the while Elder Bawa had entered the main sanctuary where the higher elder of the merchant alliance retreated.

"Lord Yuan…" She said, "These are what he brought me."

Three armaments hoovered before the salt and peppered-haired Lord Yuan. Closely inspecting the work, Lord Yuan couldn't conceal his thoughts or surprise.

"These…Not even that old hound is this masterful."

"Excuse me," said Ishita.

"The Calligraphy of a Sigilist determines a lot. And the strokes are of the ancient world script. The only way to achieve such a thing is to have near-perfect harmony combined with Calligraphy. We once held a text on it but Xuan Yo offered an astronomical price for it that we couldn't refuse. But…" Lord Yuan drifted away in thought.

"Is…Is 'the Artist' Tower Master Xuan Yi?" Ishita asked.

Lord Yuan simply shook his head. "The Artist should have been a Sigilist and Master longer than Xuan Yi. The Calligraphy, Harmony, and Intent display a man capable of battling Unvarnished with ease."

Ishita Bawa frowned. "If that's the case, why are the enchantment classifications so low?"

"That is the million gem question."

"Where is he, I'll meet him myself," said Lord Yuan, moving towards the door.

"Datura Suite," Ishita replied.

However, Lord Yuan had spaced out as a strong static sensation made the hairs on his body stand.

"I was right… He has to be an old ghost of the tower or a hermit." Lord Yuan looked towards Ishita, "Elder Bawa, tend to the auction personally. I'll go see the guest."

As Lord Yuan rushed off, Ishita felt nauseous. Something had happened and worry set in because the Lord had become excited.

Inside the Datura Suite, Ziyuan reclined his chair as he looked over the auction lot in the catalog and sipped a rather tasteless wine.

"Why is everything so cheap?" he sighed, "The Gambling Category and Prized Category everything else is moderate…Maybe the alliance is having some issues.."

Ziyuan then smiled as he felt a familiar presence. Stepping and looking over the auction house, he found her. The gently fierce aura of the young woman he had met in the outer city and his benefactor.

But before he called for her, he froze. "Nyima…"

Ziyuan noticed the woman beside the girl. He then looked past her presence and noticed her attire was oddly familiar. From the cyan veil on her face to the elegant and well-crafted cyan and gold dress that she wore.

Ziyuan raised a brow as he nodded. "Seems like the Song Saintess is the young woman I met. But what type of relationship does she have with the Merchant Alliance?"

'Just another thing to talk to Madame Nyima about.' Ziyuan thought to himself as he returned to his seat.

He then focused on the gambling lot of the night's auction. He eyed images of three damaged scrolls, a map fragment, and a broken Steele. But his focus was the broken map fragment. Any chance to find something hidden was appealing to him. It was a way to create a fortune for himself instead of stumbling around.

"Who?!" Ziyuan called out as he closed the catalog and set it on the side table.

"Lord Yuan Shu of the Merchant Alliance."

'Yuan Shu…Snow Leopard of the Amber Desert…This beast…" Ziyuan was shocked to the core.

He never expected the slaughter of the Ortogh to be in Morningstar City.

"Enter" Ziyuan called out as the formation turned and the locked-down room opened.

As Yuan Shu entered the room and Ziyuan felt the chill of air invade the suite with every step. Ziyuan stood and faced the man. Took in his visage and was sure that Yuan Shu was the man that would become a legend.

"You must be the artist…" he said, "After assessing your armaments the Merchant Alliance is willing to put forth a trade."

"A trade?" Ziyuan asked, face skewed, "I was waiting on a line of credit if the armaments were admitted to the auction. A trade isn't what I need."

"Hear me out." Yuan Shu held up a hand.

He then moved to find a seat as the lower house began to calm and Elder Bawa stepped onto the auction stage.

Ziyuan took note of this and joined the man.

"I have an interest in the first category," said Ziyuan.

"Wine?" he asked Yuan Shu, "It tastes like piss but I guess it's high-end."

Yuan Shu shook his head, "It watered down to keep the nobles calm. So let me start by saying that Merchant…No, I value your work highly."

"The Merchant Alliance allows me to offer you a credit of 2500 jewels. Only because you displayed a Supreme Grade Class 2. However, I know this shouldn't be your limit." Yuan Shu added.

'2500 Jewels…Each Jewel is equal to ten thousand Gems. Quiet is the capital for a place like Morningstar City. But, it's also enough to help the clan through the Pill Kingdom.' Ziyuan thought in his heart.

"I'll take the line of credit and you can keep your trade deals," Ziyuan replied firmly.

"And what if I told you there's another part to the tome of Ancient World Script?"

Boom. Ogun Ziyuan was frozen in place and Yuan Shu felt that he now had an Elder of the Tower of Seals in his hand. However, Ziyuan was not elder and only new of the Tome in passing but its significance wasn't below that of the Thousand Hand Deva Statue.

"I would say you're full of shit. But go on. I'm not bored yet." said Ziyuan.

"The merchant alliance will share the location with you, but we require two favors and we'll add in complete sponsorship," said Yuan Shu.

Ziyuan waved a hand nonchalantly and Yuan Shu continued.

"The daughter of the Merchant leader is also my niece. She has a great talent of the soul but was turned away by the Tower of Seals. Her Arcane aptitude isn't bad either. If Master War Dancer could take her as an apprentice in name…"

"For how long?" Ziyuan asked, "Twenty-four years?"

Yuan Shu swallowed, "The opening of the Ancestral Demon God Land will definitely shuffle the continent officially."

"And what's the second favor?"

"The Kapur Family.."

Ziyuan chuckled internally. Just by listening to Yuan Shu, he was fully aware that the man had mistaken his identity.

"Sponsorship" Ziyuan began to laugh wholeheartedly. "What can the Merchant Alliance give to a War Dancer that Tower can not and does not say the location of that Tome? One must be realistic in deals that regard one's future. I'll be frank. Sponsorship equals your subjugation. Subjugation willingly sealed with the blood of your allies and the life of your Merchant Leader's daughter."

"I have a daughter of my own." Yuan Shu snapped without hesitation and Ziyuan finally understood.

Yet, he never heard of the Snow Leopard having any children.

"What is it? Revenge? Greed? Or pure evil?"

"Revenge against pure evil" Yuan Shu replied and Ziyuan couldn't ignore the light in his eyes. It was light he could resonate with.

Ziyuan sighed. "Enjoy the auction with me. And we'll finish this afterward. Then, you can tell me all about the pain in your heart."

Yuan Shu bowed his head stiffly and remained silent as the Broken Steele was brought to the stage.