The Flame Lotus

Qin Huai sat in the secret room, his face glowing with health. As he gently called upon his energy and vitality, he could hear the strong, drum-like vibration of his organs.

“With the support of the blood heart technique and the divine power book of a thousand creations, pulling off such a miracle isn’t a big deal for me,” Qin Huai quietly said to himself. But his smile slowly faded because this was just the first step in his ambitious journey.

He stepped out of the secret room and shut himself in his study for four hours. Afterward, he took out a painting and handed it to the guard at the door. “Give this to Old Master Tong,” he instructed.

“Understood…” the guard replied.

“You can leave. I’ll take it from here.” From a distance, a beautiful figure approached.

“Madam,” the young man, quick on his feet, immediately bowed and tactfully retreated.

Li Shaoxiang took the scroll and looked at the peculiarly shaped object on it — a spherical cloth bag with a basket underneath it, like a round lantern. The size indicated in the painting left Li Shaoxiang startled. It was over a hundred feet in size.

“What is this artifact? Why haven’t I seen it before?” Li Shaoxiang asked casually. “It’s just a little thing from my hometown,” Qin Huai replied, without providing further details. “Tell Old Master Tong that I need this thing. Use the best materials and deliver it directly to Lingkou Pass.”

“I understand,” Li Shaoxiang acknowledged, committing it to memory.

The couple then strolled along the long path of the Nine Dragons Sect. The sect was much more than it used to be, housing over fifty thousand disciples. With their disciples occupying significant positions all over East Qingzhou, the Nine Dragons Sect had arguably become the leading sect in the ten counties.

“By the way, there are two more from Qingzhou City. The elder brought a letter written by her husband,” Li Shaoxiang said cautiously. “Although I offered them important positions, they all declined.”

She described the personalities of the two men, Mr. Feng, who was quiet and cold, volunteered to guard the library, and Mr. Yang, who was eloquent, opted to guard the gate.

Li Shaoxiang sighed. She knew her husband’s acquaintances usually had special skills. For example, Old Master Tong’s family were excellent blacksmiths who trained many treasure masters for the Nine Dragons Sect. Some of them were superb alchemists, recruiting many experts to be Lingjiang’s guest elders.

But this time, the two men’s choices were unconventional. They volunteered to be gatekeepers. She worried that the two might have peculiar temperaments and she didn’t want to accidentally offend them, hence, her cautious approach.

“Guards…” Qin Huai reflected for a moment. “Then let them guard. They also have exceptional combat abilities in the visceral prefecture realm. Now that they’re hidden in plain sight, it’s a good thing for the Nine Dragons Sect.” Qin Huai quickly figured out what Feng Zhiqun and Old Master Yang were planning.

These days, the Sacred Heart Sect disciples and demons were everywhere. Despite the increased number and enhanced capabilities of the ghost piercing mirrors, it was still inevitable that individuals with hidden agendas would manage to infiltrate.

With the two gatekeepers covertly protecting the Nine Dragons Sect, Qin Huai had fewer worries. He could focus on tackling the Sacred Heart Sect and the demonic Kun Peng Clan. “Oh, there’s another strange thing,” Li Shaoxiang started. “Ever since Lingjiang began to thrive, its population has been on the rise. Over the past few months, an increasing number of disciples have been reporting that their cultivation speed seems to have improved.”

“Really? Something like that happened?” Qin Huai asked, surprised. “Did you notice anything unusual?”

“No, I’ve sent people to investigate. Everything in Lingjiang seems peaceful. There are no traces of the Sacred Heart Sect for now. Also, such large-scale and voluntary reporting is unlikely to be the work of the Sacred Heart Sect, right? If it were them, they’d surely try to remain hidden,” Li Shaoxiang reasoned.

“Okay, I understand,” Qin Huai said, after listening to the latest updates about the Nine Dragons Sect and Li Shaoxiang’s plans.

They bid each other farewell at the gate. Qin Huai paused and glanced at the elderly man guarding the door, who was regaling a group of children with an enchanting tale by his candy stand. Their eyes met and they exchanged knowing glances.

…

Qin Huai found himself at Spirit Gate. The crowd, once dense, was now much thinner.

“Alliance Master,” Hua Yanli greeted, his body occasionally emitting bursts of flame, making him look like a deity emerging from the fire.

Qin Huai examined Hua Yanli, who seemed stronger than a few months prior, especially the flames engulfing him that gave Qin Huai pause.

“What is this?” he inquired.

Hua Yanli chuckled, looking quite pleased with himself. “I gained some insights while dealing with some small fries in the city. Since I can’t match your physical strength and techniques, I decided to pursue a different path. I aim to master my flames to their utmost potential.”

As Hua Yanli explained, he stretched out his hand and a perfect lotus flower materialized.

Qin Huai was taken aback. Upon closer inspection, he realized the lotus was made of flames, but of a peculiar pink hue, which left him momentarily stunned.