Could You… Clarify?

  Divine Cloud Sect, Southern Fourth district, Commander Pei Zongqiu, 4th Expeditionary force sat in silence as he reread the report.

  Pei looked up. “Have we verified this?”

  Vice Commander Lin nodded. “We recovered all of the witness statements. We are working on recovering the Envoys' people, but many fled and never stopped fleeing after she murdered their captain. “

  Pei blinked, then cleared his throat. “I was referring to the Master details.”

  Lin opened his mouth, then moved the papers before him. “Apologies, uh, yes, the Empress's Grand Elder, who is of the same bloodline, is recorded as putting the woman on Mandate, and was recorded by heaven.”

  Pei nodded. “Why did we not record the death?”

  Lin glanced up. “The Imperial privacy Arrays were in place, and Jianrong stated she used her skill that consumes energy to devour the signature that was released.

  By the time she er uh” Lin checked his notes. “ ‘Neutralized other institutional threats.’ There was no external energy signature; she had killed her Nascent Soul master.”

  Pei took it in. “Did she clarify how she killed him?” he asked.

  Lin licked his lips, and Dax looked at the floor.

  Pei grimaced and then looked out the window of his quarters. “Tell me.”

  Lin cleared his throat. “She apparently…well, she rode the Elder till he reached his limit, lost awareness of her actions, and at that time she inserted a blade into his ear and scrambled his brain.”

  Pei let out a slow breath. “Yue and Jang’s place in this?”

  “Commander, they had joined forces with the Grand Elder Cyreth Ning Ya to install his nephew into power and have his nieces step down.”

  Pei covered his face.

  “So, to be clear, the only three local Nascent Souls conspired against Heaven's chosen Mandate holder to install a new regime. The only Gold Core in the nation killed the leader of the coup, then escaped the other two Nascent Souls in a sealed city, while the Empress confiscated the royal treasury, and whose whereabouts are still unknown…is that correct so far?” he asked quietly. “What does the uncle say? Why did we not meet him?”

  “Ah, to clarify, Commander…Jianrong is not a Gold Core; she is a Peak Core, but she has two Soul Seas. One like us above the Sacral Chakra, but she now has one as a Spirit-Beast near the Root Chakra that feeds her tails.” Dax explained.

  Lin followed. “The uncle, Cyreth Velran, was killed after Ning Ya was murdered. She, uh, lured him in, saying the grand elder was sharing her, then killed him after the arrays were raised in the empress's apartment…hiding the deaths so they could escape.”

  “So…where is the Empress, where is that treasure?” Pei demanded.

  “Unknown, Jianrong stated under Array, the last time she saw the Empress was when they parted ways in the treasury,” Lin stated.

  Pei stood up and paced. “Why did Jianrong leave her?”

  “Commander, she had the Nascent Souls try to capture her. They were under the assumption SHE had the treasure, so the Empress and her people slipped away while the fox remained in the city, killing sect disciples…that were engaging in illegal activities that were not being enforced in the kingdom. “Lin explained.

  Pei turned to the two men, his mouth open. “How many people did she kill?”

  Lin looked at his notes. “Do you mean in this altercation or in all, as in her Karma readings, Commander?”

  “Give me the big picture, let's see what we are dealing with,” Pei said quietly.

  KARMA LEDGER - SUBJECT: JIANRONG DAR BLOODFORGE

  TOTAL SOULS CLAIMED: 206

  BREAKDOWN BY REALM:

  Nascent Soul: 2

  Peak Core: 4

  High Core: 1

  Mid Core: 2

  Low Core: 7

  Foundation: 97

  Body Tempering: 89

  Mortal: 4

  KARMA CLASSIFICATION:

  Heaven's Mandate (Sanctioned): 2

  Justified Defense: 190

  Questionable Necessity: 12

  Unjustified/Dark: 2

  OVERALL, KARMA STATUS: LIGHT (Approved) Heaven's Judgment:

  PROTECTOR SITUATIONAL BREAKDOWN:

  Imperial Military Service: 2 Protection of Mandate Holder: 38 Self-Defense (Survival): 130 Execution of Criminals: 36 Personal Vengeance: 1 Collateral (Unintended): 2

  NOTABLE ENTRIES:

  Nascent Soul (×2) - Heaven's Mandate

  Grand Elder Cyreth Ning Ya (Coup Leader)

  Heaven Envoy Liaison Lu Nara (Heresy, Murder)

  TEMPORAL ANALYSIS:

  Last 30 Days: 43 kills (Coup/Escape Event)

  Last Year: 162 kills

  Career Total: 209 kills (1 year of service)

  RISK ASSESSMENT:

  Pattern: DEFENSIVE/DUTY-DRIVEN Trigger: Threat to protected persons, criminal activity Restraint: HIGH (minimum civilian casualties) Lethality: EXTREME (high realm kill capability) WARNING: Subject operates under Heaven's Mandate Killing her = Karma penalty Harming her = Divine disfavor

  Pei's voice was hushed when he finally spoke. "Read that last section again."

  Lin hesitated, then: "Career Total: 206 kills. One year of service."

  "One year." Pei breathed.

  "Yes, Commander," Lin said.

  The room settled into a silence as even the scribe held his breath.

  "And the self-defense count?" "One hundred thirty, Commander. Justified Defense total is one hundred ninety."

  Pei closed his eyes. "She's been fighting for her life. For an entire year. Constantly."

  "It appears so, Commander." Dax agreed. "190 justified kills. Heaven calls her Protector. And she's... what, killed someone every two days on average?" Dax spoke, voice rough.

  "Last month was worse. Forty-three in thirty days." Lin added.

  "The coup." Pei realized it was a new calendar month…he wondered what the next lunar cycle would bring.

  "Yes. But even before that... she's been under constant attack. The numbers don't lie." Pei turned to face them. His expression was carefully neutral.

  "Gentlemen. We have, in our custody, a Peak Core cultivator with dual Soul Seas who has killed 206 people in one year of active service. Two of those were Nascent Souls, both sanctioned by Heaven. One hundred ninety kills are classified as justified defense. Heaven has marked her as a Protector and warns that harming her incurs Karma penalty."

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  He paused.

  "She's not a weapon we're auctioning. She's a magnet for violence. Everyone attacks her.” He swallowed hard. “And everyone who attacks her dies. For an entire year, this has been her life. Attack, survive, kill. Repeat. 206 times."

  Lin looked uncomfortable. "Commander, the pattern suggests—"

  "The pattern suggests," Pei cut him off, "that whoever purchases her contract will inherit a nightmare. She will continue to be attacked. Constantly. By anyone who wants the Empress's location, the treasury, her secrets, or simply thinks a Peak Core is an easy target."

  "And she'll kill them," Dax finished quietly.

  "Yes. Like she has 206 times already. Because Heaven is PROTECTING her. Divine disfavor for harming her. Karma penalty for killing her. She's untouchable. Not because we can't hurt her—but because Heaven won't allow it." Pei looked back at the ledger, then barked a laugh of disbelief.

  "Two Nascent Soul kills. Four Peak Core. Sixteen total Core Formation. All while she herself is only Peak Core. She punches above her weight. Significantly."

  "The dual Soul Seas," Dax offered.

  "Hybrid cultivation. Spirit beast nature." Pei's voice rose an octave. "I don't care WHY," Pei said sharply.

  "I care that it's TRUE. She can kill Nascent Souls. She HAS. Twice. Heaven approved both times." He paced.

  "The sects bidding on her will see this ledger. They'll see 206 kills. They'll see the Nascent Soul capability. They'll see the justified defense classification. And they'll think..." He trailed off.

  "They'll think they can control her," Lin supplied.

  "Yes. They'll think: 'We're stronger than whoever attacked her before. We can break her. We can extract what we need. And if she resists, we'll kill her.'" Pei turned.

  "And they'll be wrong because 206 people thought the same thing. And 206 people are dead."

  Silence engulfed the room.

  "Commander," Dax said carefully, "what do you recommend?"

  Pei was quiet for a long moment.

  "We auction her as planned. We provide the full ledger—every detail. We let the sects see exactly what they're buying. And then..." He looked at them.

  "We wash our hands of it. Because whoever wins that auction will regret it. She'll be attacked. She'll kill her attackers. Heaven will approve. And the count will rise. 206 will become 300. 400. 500."

  "And we'll have sold them a catastrophe," Lin said quietly.

  "Yes. But a PROFITABLE catastrophe. Let them learn what we've learned: she's not a tool. She's a survivor. And survivors don't break. They adapt. They endure. They WIN." Pei looked back at the ledger.

  "206 souls in one year. Heaven's Protector. Dual Soul Seas. Nascent Soul killer. And she's twenty years old." He shook his head slowly.

  "The winning sect is going to try to control her. They're going to fail. And when they do..." He didn't finish. He didn't need to. 207. 208. 209. The count would continue because she didn't lose. Ever. 206 to 0. And counting.

  “Where is she now?” Pei asked suddenly.

  Dax took a breath. “The dining hall Commander, she is letting people take images with her in her ‘Virgin Fox’ outfit and posing.” He squeaked.

  Pei stared at Dax. "She's... taking images."

  "Yes, Commander."

  "In the Virgin Fox outfit."

  "Yes, Commander."

  "The one where she—" He gestured vaguely.

  "The transformation. That cracked Sub-Commander Dax's shield."

  "The same, Commander." A long pause.

  "She just learned we read her Karma ledger. All 206 kills—Heaven's Protector status. Divine protection warning. Everything."

  "We haven’t told her yet, Commander."

  "So she doesn't know we know."

  "Correct. We don’t think she even knows; if she does, it does not seem to weigh on her."

  "And she's... posing. For images…. With the crew." Pei worked through it.

  "Willingly, Commander. She offered." Dax explained.

  Pei closed his eyes.

  Then started laughing. It was not a happy laugh. It was the laugh of a man whose reality had broken. "Of course she is," he managed between laughs.

  "She's brilliant," he said finally.

  "She's absolutely brilliant. Or completely broken. Or both."

  He stood. "I need to see this."

  "Commander?" Lin asked, confused.

  "I need to see this with my own eyes. Because right now, I don't believe it. I can't believe it. Heaven's Protector. 206 kills. Taking images in cute armor." He headed for the door.

  "This is either the most well-adjusted survivor I've ever met, or the most damaged person alive, presenting a perfect facade. And I don't know which is worse."

  He paused at the door. "Actually, I do know. Either way, we're selling her to someone who will try to break her. And they'll fail. Because you can't break someone who goes from 'killed 206 people' to 'meet and greet time!' without missing a beat."

  He left.

  Dax and Lin exchanged looks.

  "Should we—" Lin started.

  "Yes," Dax said.

  "We should definitely see this." Because if they didn't see it with their own eyes, they'd never believe it.

  Heaven's Protector.

  206 kills.

  Divine favor.

  Posing for image captures.

  In Virgin Form.

  Going "rawr" probably.

  The cognitive dissonance was unbearable.

  They had to see it.

  Commander Pei entered the dining hall and only needed to follow the laughter to find Jianrong.

  She was standing behind a woman, rubbing her scalp and talking to her companion, as her patient sighed.

  “So, the key is you take those herbs, crush them into that virgin oil, but be careful not to add too much essence for smell, I will be awkward, and just rub it in like this.” She explained.

  “Feels so good.” The woman moaned.

  Rong laughed. “Whose next?”

  The words never left their mouths as Pei arrived with Lin and Dax in tow.

  The three women gave a small gasp and left, but not before waving goodbye to Rong.

  Jianrong turned and bowed. “It seems Excellency drives an efficient ship.” She offered.

  Pei’s enthusiasm had calmed during the walk to see what was happening.

  Finally, he spoke.

  “The Celestial War Doctrine has asked to host some sparing. Sub Commander Dax's concerns that you provided to him were…received. However, they and others have asked that you demonstrate your weapon and bare-handed skills versus training puppets.”

  Rong blinked. “Like human puppets or puppets for children's shows?” she asked while mimicking a puppet on strings, a little too convincingly.

  All three men blinked at her comment.

  “They are free-standing tools that can fight from Foundation Establishment upwards, depending on the materials used,” Pei stated.

  Jianrong's mouth opened in amazement. “Oh wow, I have never seen that…exciting!” she smiled.

  Pei and the other glanced away at her frequent, open nature.

  “I am told you…have armor?” Pei asked.

  Rong nodded happily.

  “The people sent to assess you will want to see it. How long can you sustain it?” He asked.

  Rong considered, then clicked her tongue. “A long time, for the small Aura versions, not too long for the Affinity versions.”

  "What's your maximum output? What can your strongest armor destroy?" Pie asked.

  Rong considered. “Earth, I took on seventeen of your little meat mechas with the more sustainable version. If I could get a clean hit on a Nascent Soul with it, they would move on to the next life.” She offered.

  "Can you stop on command? What happens if something goes wrong?" Dax asked.

  Rong's brows rose, “It's armor, not an autonomous spell I let go of and watch from a distance.” She replied.

  "Give me actual numbers. Small armor - how many chimes? Affinity versions - how many incense sticks? Pei stated.

  Aura armor, not solid…could go on near indefinitely as recovery is faster than expenditure. Affinity depends on the element, but the base is a third of an incense stick for the strongest and ten incense sticks for the weakest.” She explained.

  "How many different armor types do you have? Which ones can you show us?" Lin asked.

  Rong grimaced. “Well, I mean, there are as many as affinities, but we use what is abundant, so air, earth, or water is most common.” She explained.

  "How much more dangerous are you armed vs. unarmed?" Pei asked.

  “Depends on what I am armed with, you give me a loaf of bread, I am not that dangerous.” She pointed out.

  Pei's expression didn't change, but his voice sharpened. "You're claiming sustainable armor—not maximum power—can kill a Nascent Soul. In one strike."

  Not quite belief.

  Not quite dismissal.

  Verification.

  "The two Nascent Souls in your ledger. How did you kill them?" he asked.

  Rong listened and then nodded. “Yeah, I would offer the caveat, clean hit means not moving or attacking. Nascent Souls have crushing pressure and intent, so the chance I could simply hit one with my earth construct is painfully low. As for how I killed the two Nascent Souls, both were by using misdirection, and both with a knife to the brain.” She clarified.

  “How did you deceive the Heavens Envoy?” Pei asked.

  “Easy, she had her eyes on top of her head like an insect. I just worded everything so that when she responded, it would put me in my place. Eventually, she moved right into Heresy, pretty funny really. One minute, she was like, ‘Heaven is the only power over everyone, including my own Emperor, who is below me!’ The next moment, she was killing her own people to hide her mistake of using her inside voice externally. That’s when I sent her along while she was trying to genocide other Heavens assets.” Rong laughed.

  Rong's eyes slid to Dax.

  “Sooo, Sub Commander Dax,” she smiled warmly.

  The man paled visibly.

  “KIDDING! Ahaha, I kid…ah, the look, priceless.” Jianrong put her hands up playfully as she watched Dax.

  “Realistically, what will they have me fight? Affinity armor drains my Qi, and you are not providing any means to recover said Qi.” Rong pointed out.

  “Jianrong, the way you say things…will be a problem.” Commander Pei looked at her, then around at his men. “Your tone implies you are in charge, and that we are your subordinates,” Pei explained.

  “How could you do it better?” he asked.

  “Let the mission fail, blame the person responsible. Pain is a valuable teacher.” Rong offered.

  Commander Pei stopped breathing,

  "Let the mission fail."

  "Blame the person responsible."

  "Pain is a valuable teacher."

  That's….

  That's her answer.

  To "how could you do it better?"

  Not: "I could phrase it more politely."

  Not: "I could ask instead of state."

  Not: "I could soften my tone."

  But. "Let the mission fail."

  Let it FAIL.

  Deliberately.

  Silently.

  Watch it collapse.

  THEN blame.

  After failure.

  After pain.

  After consequences.

  That's…. That's her ALTERNATIVE.

  To pointing out the Qi recovery issue.

  She could have.

  Said nothing.

  Let them set up demonstration.

  Let her run out of Qi.

  Let them look incompetent.

  In front of bidding sects.

  Mission failure.

  Our failure.

  THEN.

  Then she'd say. "You didn't provide Qi recovery." After. Not before.

  Blame after failure. Not prevention before.

  "Pain is a valuable teacher."

  That's. That's her philosophy.

  Her worldview. Her LIFE.

  She's not trying to control us.

  From her perspective.

  She's being HELPFUL.

  She's WARNING us.

  Before failure.

  Instead of. Instead of her usual approach.

  Which is. SILENCE. Let them fail. Let them hurt. Let them LEARN.

  Through pain. Through failure. Through consequences.

  That's. That's what she NORMALLY does. And she just. Just told him.

  Openly. Honestly. "I could let you fail instead." "That's better, teacher." "Pain works."

  But she didn't. She warned us. About Qi recovery. BEFORE the demonstration.

  BEFORE failure.

  BEFORE pain.

  That's. That's KINDNESS.

  In her framework. Warning = exceptional behavior. Silence = normal. Failure = teaching method. Pain = valuable teacher.

  That's. That's how she sees it.

  “We do not deliberately fail missions to make a point,” Pei stated.

  Jianrong watched him, then smiled. “I explained a shortcoming that is a basic, rudimentary necessity for every cultivator since the dawn of time, your response to my concern was to have the structure of the way I phrase my observation be the problem. You're not failing, just to make a point; your failure is that no one is making a point, so the mission fails.” She replied.

  “That’s enough.”

  Not angry.

  Not loud.

  A command word—to stop the spiral.

  “Your concern about Qi recovery is valid. It will be addressed.”

  Jianrong shrugged. “I can syphon off heat, Aura, or light, so it's not a big deal, just thought I would point it out for your operational awareness,” Rong stated.

  Pei felt embarrassment, respect, and helplessness.

  “To better facilitate your needs, I will be dedicating Vice Commander Liu. How do you feel about that?” he asked.

  Rong nodded. “Feng is good, okay, dokey, I am gonna head back to the cell. See you all ma?ana. She said while dragging out the pronunciation.

  The silence in her absence was heavy.

  “She uses many words that sound alien.” Dax finally stated.

  Lin nodded. “Not all of them seem to have similarities either.” He agreed.

  Pei closed his eyes. “I don’t want this problem.” He thought.