Cultivating As A Side Character

"Oh?" said Li Han, between mouthfuls.

"Yes. If you really do think we can be friends, I think we need to come clean about some things."

"Go on…"

"I don't think you've stayed in the Outer Court to wait until you master a Heaven Rank technique. I think you've stayed for another reason, one that has to do with me."

"Is that so?"

Already not denying it. "A little bit at a time, I've been looking into things about you, senior brother Li Han. I first became suspicious when I took a detour to at least visit the Tower of Enlightment, and saw your name at the top of list of those who reached the highest. You cleared 87 floors. The requirement to test to be a Core disciple is just 50 floors, yet you're still outer court."

Li Han's grin was rueful now. "It wasn't exactly possible for me to hide. I knew you'd find that out sooner or later."

"After that was when I stopped taking things about you at face value. Like what you said about only being a member of the Li Family by being recruited. That may indeed be true, but only a recruit who has gained actual recognition from the main family is permitted to use their name.

That would be more than enough clout to put you in a building below #100 back in the sect, so I did a little digging there too. It took a little doing to talk someone at the Reception Gate Hall into checking the records to see when you had transferred to Building #242—and it was the day before I arrived."

Li Han drew back in his seat. "You went that far? All right, I'll give you there are things I haven't been forthcoming about with you."

"Yeah, a few. But the really curious thing is, if you were here to recruit for the Li Family, you would have surely tried to get close to others in the past. But over your ten years here, you stayed in Building #9 the entire time. It was quite odd that the only one you moved house for was me."

"Well, that's because…"

"Because I'm from the Academy. The first A Rank disciple it's ever produced for the Library. So I looked it up…and not only the Li family, but the Lao and Lu families as well, have quite good ties with the Academy's sponsor." I narrowed my eyes. "I venture to say that you're not looking for just any kind of recruit."

Li Han glared daggers at me. "Not another word. If we speak of that where I might be overheard, I'll be made a laughingstock, Li family or no. If that happens, I will be obligated to end your existence, regardless of my mission." Suddenly, he was relaxed and all smiles again, the mask back in place, the ruthlessness of a tried-and-true member of a Sacred Family gone as though it was never even there. "But, that's the Academy's honor student for you. How long have you known?"

"I've at least suspected for about a month. I just didn't want to confront you on it before a proper chance presented itself."

"Yes, I've noticed that about you," said Li Han, the member of the Li Family tasked with recruiting potential Zodiac Legacies who had gone from the Academy to the 10,000 Scrolls Library, "you always pick your moments very carefully, whether in regards to a single duel, when to take the first shot in a battle, or even regarding the politics of an entire sect. It's an admirable quality, one I slightly lack myself."

"I made a costly mistake in handling an incident once," I said, "I lost quite an opportunity because I was too hasty and spoke up at the wrong moment. I swore I wouldn't make the same kind of mistake again."

"Ah. You're someone who doesn't learn lessons by halves, then."

Li Han's expression changed very obviously in the middle of the sentence. I looked where he was looking, and saw an Inner Court disciple of the Library was walking up to our table. A woman, no less. As soon as she saw me notice her, she spoke. "Outer Disciple Xu Zuhui, Grand Elder Guo wishes to speak with you. Come with me at once."

"Of course." I spared a slightly sad glance at the last few bites of the food I still had out as I was standing up. Li Han stood up too. "No reason for me to stick around here," he said to their questioning look, "I'll return to the caravan."

She gave a nod, and I fell in behind her as we walked through several twists and turns in the street, eventually entering an inn with a particularly dark atmosphere in the front room. The Inner Court disciple led me further, not to a guest room, but to a backroom like an office, where indeed, Grand Elder Guo was seated. "Thank you, Disciple Qing. You may leave us."

She closed the door behind her. "Sit down, Xu Zuhui."

I couldn't conceal the puzzlement in my face. "Honorable Grand Elder…am I in trouble for something?"

She looked at me not unkindly, which was to say, her expression softened for just a moment. "Not as such. Sit down."

I sat down. "I found positive identification of the evil sect in the spatial ring of the Spirit Rank cultivator that was killed. A small token, with their emblem. An emblem of a lightning bolt shattering a bridge over a river. It is the sign of the Blood Inquisition Sect. They are unusually discriminate for an evil sect, in that they only target those who are, or who support those who are immigrants from a world outside the heavens.

Yes," she smiled a little in response to my widened eyes, "those of Grand Elder status as well as the Masters of the nine sects partnered with the Academy from which you hail are apprised of your true origins, as well as the true nature of the Academy—even its ties to the Zodiac Legacies. That's not important right now.

I do not believe that the Blood Inquisition Sect was specifically targeting you with this attack. They were set up too well to attempt to slaughter every disciple with the convoy, not just you. However, we cannot dismiss the possibility that you are known to them as an Outworlder now.

I won't force you to abandon the convoy mission. The fact that they did not bring truly overwhelming force in the attack suggests they are unable to do so in some fashion, and anyway even if they do come again stronger, I am keeping a close eye on things. I do strongly recommend that you refrain from taking more missions away from the sect until the Blood Inquisition can be rooted out."