He clenched his fists, the smooth silk of his own high-grade robes rustling softly. That calm dismissal, the way Kai sidestepped the demand for the 'Anti-Abrasion Gauntlets'by feigning concern and suggesting ridiculously expensive alternatives – it wasn't the reaction of a frightened newcomer. It was calculated. Smooth. Too smooth.
His cronies, Ming Hao and Lu Chen, shifted nervously behind him. They’d seen Kai’s performance in the competition, heard the whispers. Even they, Inner Disciples accustomed to a certain level of power, felt a flicker of unease about the newcomer.
"Arrogant little shit," Ming Hao muttered, echoing Jian Feng's thoughts. "Thinks winning that Outer Sect farce makes him untouchable."
"It's not arrogance," Jian Feng corrected sharply, turning towards his own elegant courtyard, forcing his followers to hurry after him. "It's calculation. And that's what makes him dangerous."
He sank onto a cushioned bench in his pavilion, overlooking a pond filled with shimmering Koi – symbols of wealth and fortune he felt Kai was actively trying to usurp. He waved a dismissive hand, sending Ming Hao and Lu Chen to fetch refreshments. Alone, he let the mask of effortless superiority drop slightly, replaced by a frown of intense concentration.
Kai wasn't Zhang Long. Zhang Long was a blunt instrument, all brute force and petty extortion, easily crushed once surpassed. Kai… Kai was different. His rise from Level 1 trash to Level 7 Inner Disciple in mere weeks or months was unnatural, impossible through conventional means alone. Even finding some minor legacy wouldn't explain the sheer speed and the nature of his advantages.
Those artifacts… The blinding mist, the disorienting smoke, the shocking weapon that had downed Heishi and the others – none carried the distinct Qi signature of standard sect artifacts. They felt… other. Mundane, yet brutally effective in their unexpectedness. Zhao Feng, a skilled Level 7 swordsman, hadn't been beaten by superior Qi or technique, but by being blinded and choked like a common street thug. Chen Yan, the Level 8 defensive wall, hadn't been broken by power, but flustered into submission by bizarre noises and minor shocks. Even Li Wei, Peak Level 9, had been taken down after Kai inexplicably vanished and reappeared, finishing him with that same shocking weapon.
Tricks? Yes. But effective tricks. And where did they come from?
Jian Feng leaned back, tapping a finger against his chin. He’d made inquiries. Discreetly, of course. His family connections within the sect, while not Elder-level, provided access to information channels unavailable to most. He’d learned about Kai’s earlier activities in the Outer Sect – the sudden appearance selling ‘Energy Elixirs’, ‘Mending Kits’, even stranger things like ‘Illumination Stones’ and ‘Communication Jades’. All seemingly mundane, yet suspiciously effective or novel. He’d even heard the rumour about Kai somehow procuring a fresh, out-of-season Sunpetal Herb for Elder Liu Renshu – an alchemical impossibility that had salvaged a vital pill batch.
Elder Liu, when subtly questioned, had been evasive, praising Kai's 'resourcefulness' but refusing to divulge details of their transaction. Suspicious. Elders didn't usually deal directly with unknown Outer Disciples, let alone for 'impossible' ingredients.
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This wasn't just luck or a minor legacy. This was a consistent pattern of acquiring and distributing unusual, effective items. Kai had a source. A reliable, hidden source of wealth and strange artifacts.
That was the prize. Not just humiliating the upstart, but controlling his source. Imagine having access to instant communication devices, energy boosters superior to sect pills, perhaps even those debilitating combat gadgets… Jian Feng’s ambition stirred. With such resources supplementing his own talent and status, reaching Foundation Establishment wouldn’t just be possible; it would be swift. His influence within the sect would soar.
But Kai was slippery. Direct confrontation hadn't worked for Zhang Long's group, and even Li Wei had fallen to Kai's tricks. Jian Feng wasn’t foolish enough to charge in blindly, especially not now that Kai was Level 7 and likely possessed more hidden weapons. His own Level 9 cultivation gave him an advantage, but Kai’s performance against Li Wei proved that levels weren't everything when bizarre artifacts were involved.
No, a multi-pronged approach was needed. Threads, like a spider’s web, woven carefully around the target.
Thread One: Information and Isolation. Ming Hao and Lu Chen returned with refreshments. Jian Feng accepted a cup of fragrant spirit tea. "Ming Hao," he said casually, "I want eyes on Kai. Not direct surveillance – that’s too obvious. Monitor who he interacts with, where he goes frequently besides his courtyard and the standard halls. Any unusual deliveries? Any clandestine meetings?"
Ming Hao nodded eagerly. "Understood, Senior Brother Jian. We'll be discreet."
"Lu Chen," Jian Feng continued, "spread whispers. Nothing overt, just reinforce the narrative. That Kai's victories were flukes, reliant on potentially forbidden artifacts. That his rapid advancement is unnatural, possibly demonic, certainly unstable. Sow doubt among his peers. Make others wary of associating with him. Isolate him."
Lu Chen smirked. "Easy enough. Plenty are already jealous. A little nudge is all it takes."
Isolation made prey easier to corner.
Thread Two: Leveraging the Mission. The Shadowfen Marsh mission was real. A standard Inner Sect task rotation – chart potential spirit herb locations in the perilous outer zones of the marsh, thin out some troublesome Marsh Vipers, standard stuff, usually assigned to groups of mid-level Inner Disciples. Jian Feng had specifically requested lead on the next rotation, knowing it was coming up.
His initial demand for the gloves from Kai had been partly a test, partly a power play. Kai’s deflection was clever, but it opened another avenue.
"That marsh mission," Jian Feng mused aloud, swirling his tea. "A dangerous place. Slippery footing, corrosive mud, venomous beasts… accidents are common." He looked meaningfully at Ming Hao and Lu Chen. "It would be… unfortunate… if Junior Brother Kai, perhaps eager to prove his newfound Inner Sect mettle, were to volunteer for such a mission. Or perhaps be assigned to it, given his 'resourcefulness'?"
A quiet word with the Deacon assigning tasks, a suggestion that Kai’s unique skills might be useful… yes. Luring Kai out of the relative safety of the sect grounds into a controlled, dangerous environment where Jian Feng's group held the advantage – that was promising. If Kai refused the assignment, it was insubordination, grounds for punishment. If he accepted… well, the marsh held many dangers. Perhaps some of Kai’s precious artifacts might be ‘lost’ during a beast attack. Perhaps Kai himself might have an unfortunate encounter.
Thread Three: Probing the Source. Jian Feng still needed to understand where the artifacts came from. The Outer Sect connection seemed key. Kai clearly had assistants there. That 'dead drop' system the rumors hinted at…
"Find out who Kai associated with most closely in the Outer Sect," Jian Feng instructed. "Names, routines. Particularly anyone who might be handling… deliveries for him. Lin Fan, Mei Ling, Yao Fei... " He needed leverage points. If he could intercept a delivery, perhaps capture one of Kai’s couriers… that might force Kai’s hand or reveal the mechanism.
Thread Four: The Artifacts Themselves. If direct acquisition failed, perhaps analysis would yield results. What were these things? If he could get his hands on even one – the pepper spray canister Kai discarded, the remnants of the smoke pellet, perhaps even provoke Kai into using the shocking wand again where it could be observed more closely by someone knowledgeable… like someone from the Artifact Crafting Hall? Jian Feng made a mental note to cultivate his relationship with a Junior Artifact Craftsman he knew, someone ambitious and perhaps willing to analyze strange items discreetly. Understanding the artifacts might reveal their weaknesses or origin.
He sipped his tea, a cold smile touching his lips. It was a complex web, requiring patience and careful manipulation. Isolate Kai socially. Lure him into a dangerous situation. Pressure his Outer Sect network. Analyze his tools. Any one thread might fail, but together, they would constrict around the upstart.
Kai thought he was clever, hiding behind his tricks and newfound status. But he didn't understand the Inner Sect. He didn't understand the subtle games of power, the intricate connections, the ruthlessness masked by silken robes. Jian Feng did. He had been navigating these currents his entire life.
This newcomer, this anomaly, was a disruption. And Jian Feng would restore the proper order, peeling back Kai’s secrets one by one until he held the source of that power in his own hands. The Shadowfen Marsh would be the first test. He would ensure Kai was assigned to the team. And then… opportunity would present itself. He was sure of it.
P.S. (Author's Note on the Communication Jade):
maybe, but not yet.
worked. Once. Perfectly. He saw his cousin Meng's reply appear almost instantly. For a collector obsessed with rare and unique artifacts, especially one dealing with notoriously unreliable long-distance communication like carrier pigeons, that single, seemingly miraculous success is powerful confirmation bias fuel.
first conclusion a cultivator in his position jumps to?
Not "Ah, that Level 1 Outer Sect weakling (as Kai was then) must have elaborately scammed me with technology beyond my comprehension!"
- "Damn unreliable cousin Meng!" (He was already fuming about Meng's delays, blaming him again is easy).
- "Maybe the atmospheric Qi is wrong?" (A common excuse for malfunctioning artifacts).
- "This 'Jade' is incredibly rare and temperamental." (Fits the narrative of a unique artifact Kai stumbled upon).
- "Am I using it wrong? Does it need recharging?" (User error is always plausible).
- "Maybe it only works under specific conditions/locations?"
especially now that Kai is the infamous Outer Sect Champion.
but the real reason, while Kai has long since leveraged the manual acquired through that desperate gamble. It's a loose end, absolutely. And loose ends have a nasty habit of getting tripped over later... but not necessarily immediately. Wang Hao is still out there, with his non-functional 'artifact', and that could definitely resurface. We just haven't gotten there yet. ??