We had arrived at the Formation Guild.
Several formation masters nodded respectfully as we passed, their expressions shifting to curiosity when they noted our determined stride. Elder Chen Yong paid them no mind, his focus entirely on our destination. Or rather, on the woman waiting there.
After passing through several connecting halls, we arrived at a large circular chamber where disciples practiced formation basics under the watchful eyes of senior mbers. At the far end, standing by a window overlooking a ditation garden, was a familiar figure.
Madam Butterfly.
Even from a distance, she commanded attention. Her white robes with six horizontal lines across the chest identified her as a Level Six formation master within the guild system. Her hair was arranged in an elaborate style that sohow managed to look both effortless and perfect, with ornantal hairpins that glinted with formation tals.
Elder Chen Yong picked up his pace, a slight flush rising in his cheeks, though whether from irritation or sothing else, I couldn't tell.
"Madam Butterfly," he called out, his voice carrying across the chamber. Several disciples looked up from their work, startled by the sudden interruption.
She turned slowly, as if she'd been expecting us all along. Her eyes t mine briefly before settling on Elder Chen Yong with an expression of mild amusent.
"Elder Chen Yong." Her voice carried the lodious quality I rembered. "I see you've brought your disciple back in one piece. How... unexpected."
My master's jaw tightened. "We need to talk."
"About your disciple's mission, I presu?" Her eyes sparkled with sothing I couldn't quite identify. "Very well. But not here, where every apprentice can hear matters that don't concern them." She made a dismissive gesture toward the practicing disciples, who had abandoned any pretense of work and were now openly watching our exchange.
Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked toward a side door, clearly expecting us to follow. Elder Chen Yong hesitated for just a mont, a small act of defiance, before falling in step behind her. I trailed after them, wondering what exactly I had gotten myself into.
The side door led to a narrow corridor with doors spaced evenly along both walls. Madam Butterfly stopped at the third door on the right, pressed her palm against a formation plate, and pushed it open.
"After you," she said with mock courtesy.
Elder Chen Yong entered without comnt. I followed, noting how the air seed to thicken as I crossed the threshold. Sound dampening formations, and powerful ones at that. Whatever was about to be discussed, Madam Butterfly clearly wanted to ensure it remained private.
The room was modest but elegantly appointed. A round table of polished dark wood dominated the center, surrounded by four cushioned chairs. Formation diagrams decorated the walls, so familiar to , others so complex they made my eyes hurt to follow their patterns. A tea service sat ready on a side table, steam rising from a still-hot pot.
"Please, sit." Madam Butterfly gestured to the chairs while closing the door behind us. "Tea?"
"I didn't co here for pleasantries," Elder Chen Yong stated flatly, remaining standing. "I ca to discuss your irresponsible behavior."
Madam Butterfly sighed dramatically, pouring herself a cup of tea despite his refusal. "At least allow your disciple to sit. The poor boy has had quite the ordeal, thanks to your inability to keep track of him."
I glanced between them, caught in their crossfire. Deciding that remaining standing would only appear to be taking sides, I quietly took a seat at the table. Elder Chen Yong shot a look that I couldn't quite interpret, but made no comnt.
"You sent my disciple on a mission that could have gotten him killed," Elder Chen Yong began, his voice low and controlled but edged with anger. "A mission to retrieve the Moonlit Dew Flower from Black Mist Valley, a spatial anomaly that has claid the lives of cultivators far more advanced than him."
"I offered him a fair exchange," she replied calmly, taking a sip of her tea. "Information for service. He accepted willingly."
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"He's a Qi Condensation cultivator seeking knowledge about Life Realm inner worlds," Elder Chen Yong countered, his voice rising slightly. "You dangled forbidden knowledge before soone you knew would be unable to resist. That's manipulation, not a fair exchange."
"Forbidden? I wasn't aware that knowledge of Life Realm cultivation was forbidden." Her tone was innocent, but her eyes glead with challenge. "Perhaps your sect has been keeping secrets from their disciples, Chen Yong? How unfortunate."
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. The tension between them was palpable, charged with years, perhaps centuries, of unresolved history.
"You know very well what I an," Elder Chen Yong insisted. "You sent him into danger for your own amusent."
Madam Butterfly set down her cup with a precise click against the saucer. "Are you quite finished with your tirade? Because I have things to say that might surprise both you and your disciple."
Elder Chen Yong crossed his arms but said nothing, which Madam Butterfly apparently took as permission to continue.
"First, I was monitoring the entire mission," she said, looking directly at . "From the mont he had entered Wuqi City, I was watching. Had he faced true mortal danger, I would have intervened imdiately."
This was news to . I hadn't felt any monitoring during the mission. Either she was lying, or her skills were far beyond what I had imagined. At only the Qi Condensation Realm, I would never be able to tell which of the two was the truth.
"You expect to believe that?" Elder Chen Yong scoffed.
"Why else would I not be at the Guild when you ca charging in like a wild beast the other day, demanding to know where your disciple was?" she countered smoothly. "I was outside Wuqi City, ready to step in if needed. But as it turned out, your disciple proved quite capable. And then, of course, you arrived with your... theatrical display of drunken combat."
Elder Chen Yong's cheeks flushed slightly. "I didn't sense your presence."
"Clearly." Her smile was razor-sharp. "Your technique against the City Lord was effective but wasteful. You expended twice the energy necessary for the initial restraint, and your stance during the Drunken Dragon Steps was off-center by at least three degrees. Your master would have felt nauseous at the sight."
"My stance was perfectly—" Elder Chen Yong began, then caught himself. "This isn't about my technique."
"Isn't it, though?" Madam Butterfly leaned forward, her voice dropping slightly. "You're getting not only old, Chen Yong, but soft. Your isolation has dulled your edge. Perhaps, you need a…sparring partner, soone to challenge you."
My eyes widened slightly as the implication of her words sank in. Was she using this as an opportunity to flirt with him?
Elder Chen Yong, however, seed entirely oblivious to the underlying ssage. His face darkened at what he perceived as an insult.
"My edge is perfectly fine," he retorted. "I've simply chosen to focus on matters more important than impressing the Formation Guild elites with flashy techniques."
"Like what? Pretending to be a wine rchant?" she asked with mock innocence. "How stimulating that must be for soone of your caliber."
"At least I engage with the world rather than hiding away in dusty libraries and formation chambers, manipulating others from a safe distance."
I caught the flash of genuine irritation in Madam Butterfly's eyes, quickly masked behind her practiced smile. She'd clearly hoped for a different response to her advances, and his obliviousness was testing her patience.
"So of us prefer to use our minds rather than brute force," she replied smoothly. "Though I suppose that's always been the difference between us."
The conversation was rapidly devolving into a battle of egos that had little to do with or my mission. I cleared my throat loudly, drawing their attention. Both turned to look at as if suddenly rembering I was there.
"Maybe," I suggested carefully, not wanting to annoy the titans, "we could return to the topic of why I sought information about Life Realm inner worlds in the first place?"
Madam Butterfly studied for a mont, then nodded. "Indeed. Your performance during the mission was quite impressive, Ke Yin. You demonstrated resourcefulness, quick thinking, and adaptability, all qualities the Formation Guild values." She extended her hand across the table. "Now, the Moonlit Dew Flower, if you please. A deal is a deal."
I looked at her outstretched hand, then at Elder Chen Yong. My master's expression was neutral, but I could sense he was letting make my own decision.
After a mont's consideration, I shook my head. "I think I'll keep the herb," I said.
Madam Butterfly's eyebrows rose slightly. "Oh? Seems you don't need my help anymore now that your master is back." Her tone was light, but carried an edge. "Last I rembered, you were practically begging for information."
I offered a smile and a shrug. "Things change."
"Indeed they do." She withdrew her hand with a dismissive wave. "Keep the herb. I never really needed it." Her attention shifted to Elder Chen Yong, and she fixed him with an intense look. "But I am curious, Chen Yong, are you certain you want to tell your disciple the truth? He seems rather... impulsive, like many others who went insane thinking they could control themselves."
Elder Chen Yong looked conflicted, and for a mont I thought he might refuse to share whatever information I had sought. Then he sighed deeply, his shoulders dropping slightly.
"If we don't tell him, the boy will find a way to discover it himself," he said at last. "And that would likely end badly. Better he learns the truth in a controlled setting."
Madam Butterfly nodded slowly. "Very well then. Let's show him what fate awaits if he doesn't take our warnings seriously after learning the truth."
A chill ran down my spine at her words. What could be so dangerous about Life Realm inner world knowledge that they felt the need to provide such a stark warning?
"Co," she said, rising from her chair. "There's sothing you need to see first."
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