The Hollow Song Sect never really stopped moving, as fights were part of how its disciples grew and rose above one another. It was the main driving force behind everything, everyone aiming to become an Elder, even if only in name. It was many's ultimate goal to become properly part of the Sect and gain access to their ultimate resources and techniques... Yet even then, the morning after Siu’s duel felt different, and the reason was that his victory went against the norm. Word of his unnaturally smooth triumph over Nue Toah, someone who was aiming to become an Inner Disciple soon enough, had now spread far and wide, until every Outer Disciple knew Siu's name. He had done something in one month that should have been possible only after years... even then, it would have been a miracle.

  And that, the fact it happened, told everyone that waves were being made within the Sect, and many wanted to ride it, as far and high as possible.

  By the next sunrise, Siu's corner of the dormitory had turned into something like a marketplace, to the annoyance of his. Disciples he had never spoken to or even seen before had been passing by with forced nonchalance, pretending to stretch their tired backs near his door, or to meditate close by when he went to find a spot to practice his breathing techniques. By the afternoon, they also began offering congratulations that Siu could smell without looking... as they all stunk of self-interest. Then, there were those people who came to him openly, carrying gifts, small bottles of actual pills, low-tier CC stones, or sealed invitation letters to their private meetings, promising a good time... However...

  Siu simply ignored all of them. When he wasn’t continuing his training in the martial techniques he picked up or soaking his battered arms, he sat by a small stone table outside somewhere, drinking tea that had gone cold hours ago, pretending not to notice the constant footsteps, looking for him.

  "I can't believe it..." He muttered to himself, as no matter where he went, someone, somehow, managed to find him.

  By midmorning on the second day, the first real visitors arrived, people he couldn't just ignore, since they weren't coming alone. They managed to catch him just when he was about to head to the private meditation alcoves. Looking at them, he quickly noticed that each was wearing the badge, maybe that of a faction, a simple, red pin with a yellow boulder in the middle of it. Just a glance was enough to make Siu groan, but he held it in, realizing that it was the time when the different clicks within the disciples' ranks finally came to try and recruit him.

  With a sigh, he just stopped, greeting them politely, listening to their introduction, as they were telling him that they were the Stone Ward Collection. Well, he had an idea why, as their leader was a thick-shouldered man named Bren Taar, and no matter how much Siu tried to sense his strength, it eluded him. Which meant that he had to be above his proficiency... The question was, in what way? But if he had to guess, it had to be someone specializing in defenses.

  “I’ll be blunt,” Bren said after the introductions were finished, resting both hands on his hips. “You’ve proven yourself, young man. The Stone Ward could use someone like you! We don’t waste time with games, just like you. You work with us, you get access to proper pay in weekly CC, better weapon selection than any other groups within the Outer Disciples, and access to private training grounds. No one bothers us if they want to remain living in peace. Think about it!”

  "..." Siu, keeping up an unreadable expression, listened in silence, nodding slowly. “Sounds organized... I am happy for you.”

  “It is,” Bren said with pride, his eyes flashing, “We built it from scratch! We have almost a hundred members, many of us working in the Sect's quarry, deeper in the mountain. We are not only mine CC for the sect; we also have our own portion to refine, which we can supply to our members, whom we will always protect. You’ll never need to scavenge for materials again if you are a member of our Collection...”

  "I see," Siu’s gaze lifted to meet his, having to crane his neck somewhat as the man was more than a head taller than he was, “And what do I owe in return?”

  “Nothing you can’t handle,” Bren said smoothly, feeling he was already as good as accepting him into their fold, “A few tasks, a few favors, we are a collective, after all. It’s all for the group.”

  “I see.” Siu nodded, cupping his hands respectfully. “Then allow me to refuse, for the group’s benefit. I wouldn’t fit in.”

  "Huh?" Bren blinked his eyes, totally caught off guard. “What—? You’re turning down—”

  “Your offer,” Siu finished, bowing politely. “I am. Still, thank you for coming.”

  With that, he didn't wait; he simply bowed again and left, heading to his prepaid alcove, spending the rest of the morning alone, meditating, focusing on his breathing, and letting his mind sort out all that his body had learned while training under Elder Thane.

  Yet, the moment he left the tranquility of the mountainside, the second delegation arrived, calling themselves the Ember Circle. These ones... Well, they came loud and laughing, smelling faintly of blood... Taking a quick, second whiff, it wasn't hard to tell that they smelled the same way as the ones who tricked Neya with Nue's animal corpse had the same bloody stench... Not because they were also members of this Ember Circle... but because they were clearly handling animal corpses day in and out. Ignoring the thought as all of that was already in the past, he stopped, forcing a curse down his throat that he can't have his peace, and began returning their greeting just as cordially. To, maybe just a little surprise, their leader was a tall woman with a scarred face and wild hair tied back in a red ribbon.

  “I like your style,” she said, grinning. “Crane form, right? Haven’t seen it done that clean in years! Most of us forget the basics the moment we can afford more advanced techniques. Interested in those?"

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  "Eventually." Siu nodded, as of course he was interested in them. But that didn't mean he would just drop the basics when he couldn't even learn all of the forms yet.

  "Well, that's great!" She laughed again, "Join us, and we’ll teach you what we know! You see, we are the most proficient group when it comes to fighting, amongst all of the Outer Disciples! We hunt, we train each other, and we break bones for fun. If you want to know, this group is older than any of us, as many of its founders had already become Inner Disciples! Hell, some of them rose to be Elders!”

  "Really...?" Siu’s lips twitched a little, but he quickly wiped his face of most emotions, “And for pay?”

  “Of course, of course!" She widened her smile, "You’ll get a share of every hunt you partake of. The higher your rank within the Circle, the bigger the share you will get. And I'm not only talking about CC, Siu... I mean prime resources... fresh ones. Straight from the source!”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” Siu nodded, bowing again to signal the end of the conversation, just as before. “But I prefer my bones unbroken for now. Sadly, I am not strong enough for your esteemed group. But I am honored that you thought of me.”

  "I see, I see," the woman laughed, clapping him on the shoulder hard enough to make it sting, but restraining herself from actually hurting him. “I respect someone's desire for freedom. I was like that once. So... Suit yourself, boy. But if you ever want to feel alive, come find us. My offer still stands!”

  "Well..." Siu muttered after they were gone, "At least, some of them are sensible enough..."

  Sadly, it was not over yet, as before nightfall, the third group came quietly, bearing an elaborate, gold-threaded invitation... The Golden Scroll Association. As for opening and reading the introductions, they were merchants in all but name, holding not only information brokers but also the connecting strings between all the other groups within the Outer Disciples, acting as intermediaries, setting up meetings and exchanges between different parties, and serving as the third, impartial party in most exchanges. Their spokesman was a young man with a neat bun and way too clean, polished shoes, waiting with a smile for him to read the introductory letter that had a Sun Crystal attached to its end. Apparently... a complimentary gift, with no strings attached, directly stated in the letter itself.

  “We are not here to tell you that you must join us,” he said, seeing that Siu finished reading it. “We are here to simply inform you that we want to establish a cordial relationship between us. We mostly trade in knowledge, opportunities, and influence within the Outer Disciples. We had already heard that you’ve refused other offers, but perhaps you’ll find our proposal more... flexible.”

  "What proposal?" Siu studied the man for a long time. “And... Flexible how?”

  “You keep your independence, of course,” the broker said, smiling. “We only ask for your cooperation. Sometimes we need a courier... Sometimes, we need someone who can keep secrets or has the skill to protect a client of ours.”

  “Tempting,” Siu said quietly. “But I prefer to keep myself unoccupied and be able to focus on my cultivation. I barely started, after all.”

  "Naturally," The man’s smile didn’t falter, “Just keep us in mind.” He nodded, cupping his hands.

  “Of course,” Siu answered, returning the gesture, watching him leave, before throwing out the letter along with the CC attached to it, knowing that there are no free gifts... not within a Sect.

  Finally... with seemingly everyone gone, Siu had the quiet he'd craved all day, sitting down in their dorm room, his patience worn especially thin. Even when entering, he could see the gifts piling outside the door, dozens of small boxes, wrapped scrolls, tokens of goodwill he never asked for... He left them untouched. Every single piece, making sure that everyone knew his stance on the issue. When Neya arrived back home from the work that Siu found for her, the girl's arms were full of food, and her smile was way too wide for her face.

  “Siu!” she called, practically shining like the sun, “Look! I got a ton of free food for some reason... I brought most of it back so we can share! Bet you had no time to eat, huh?”

  "You were just... given those?" He raised an eyebrow.

  "Um... yes...?" She nodded, watching him shrug, "Is... is that a problem? Should I... throw it out?"

  "No," he shrugged. "I am hungry," he added, taking one of the well-packed sandwiches from her. "Put one aside for Tian and Lorean, too."

  “Sure!” she smiled, doing just that before sitting down opposite him, munching on her own portion. "You got really popular, huh? Proper famous and all..."

  “I noticed,” he answered, leaning back against the wall, eating.

  “So?” she pressed, full of genuine curiosity. “Why’d you turn them all down?"

  "You heard that too?"

  "Duh!" She giggled, "Everyone knows it by now... They were offering you everything! Potions, access to CC, even free pills! You could double your strength in a month!”

  "Am I now?" He looked at her, half amused, half tired, holding a small smile while chewing, “And in return?”

  “In return, what?” she asked.

  “In return for that favor, what obedience, what hidden debt do I have to rack up? Hm?” Siu’s tone was calm, but his eyes were sharp, and Neya noticed that, too. “Nothing in this sect is free, Neya. Not in any sect. Never was and never will be... The only difference between a knife and a gift is from which side they hand it to you. It may have a nice sheath, Neya, but that can easily slip off, and then you are standing there, being poked by your own gift. Over and over again.”

  "But..." Neya frowned, trying to understand his point, “But… they don’t seem like Nue... They’re nice... No...? They just want to help you.”

  "They are more insidious than that idiot," He shook his head, “No. Nue used fear and aggression as her blunt weapon. It's easy to see and easy to counter. The problem starts when they use kindness to reel you in, get you deep into the muck, and then you suddenly realize... You can't lift your leg out of it anymore. In the end, both want the same thing: to own you. The first step to that is straightforward, Neya... Once you accept their favor, no matter how small it is," He pointed at the food she brought back, "you belong to them.”

  "...?!" She hesitated, trying to digest it all, suddenly unsure what to make of the kindness she received at his job. “So what should I do? If someone offers to help—”

  “Ask yourself if you can repay them,” Siu interrupted her gently. “If not, refuse them. Straight up! The only help you can accept is from the Elders, as we are already in their Sect and belong to their family... Others... Their help means nothing.”

  "Only the Elders..." She mumbled, listening to him like she would to a teacher.

  "Yes." Siu nodded, "These organizations that try to get me into their ranks are a collection of... fodder. Do you think the Elders would pick any of their members to accept as their own? No. The only ones in these groups who actually matter are their leaders. And that... is one or two people per group. Because they are the only ones who are good enough to collect others under their lead, to organize them, to maneuver their path... It's their skills that they would look for, as the rest of the disciples under them are just the cogs in a greater machine."

  "But..." She murmured, after a minute of long, deep silence, "You also helped me..."

  "True," He chuckled, shaking his head, "Friends do that. But I am not friends with people I don't even know..."

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