The summons came like a dagger slipped under the door. No flourish. No wax seal. No honorifics.
Just a single folded sheet of paper, pressed against the cold morning floor. Lin Tian picked it up before he'd even fully woken, the ink already smudged slightly from morning condensation.
You are to present yourself to the Disciplinary Pavilion at first bell.Failure to attend will be seen as acknowledgment of guilt.
No name. No sender. No signature.
Just that.
Chen Mu stirred inside the ring. "Well, that's ominous."
"They're not wasting time."
"Nope. They've decided it's time for a show."
[+2 BP for early-morning dread narration.]
Lin Tian read it again, slower this time. His hands didn't shake. Not because he wasn't afraid—but because fear was something he'd already gotten used to. Like the cold. Like hunger.
He got dressed. Simple robes. Belt tied evenly. Ring cleaned and placed on his right hand instead of his left—just enough to feel unfamiliar, just enough to remind him what today was.
When he stepped out of the hut, the morning fog had just begun to lift.
And somewhere behind that fog, people were already watching.
The Disciplinary Pavilion was a structure that didn't try to hide what it was. Gray stone, ironwood beams, no banners, no decoration. Just a single line of script above the door:
Law is the spine of cultivation.
"Ironic," Chen Mu muttered, "for a place used mostly to snap spines."
[+1 BP for poetic cynicism.]
Inside, the walls were bare, save for a few warning glyphs painted in black on gray. No chairs. No warmth. The tribunal chamber was a half-moon space with three seats raised above a smooth floor.
Elder Hu sat on the rightmost seat, his expression as flat as the marble beneath Lin Tian's feet.
The center elder—tall, bony, sharp-eyed—spoke first.
"Outer Disciple Lin Tian. You stand accused of unsanctioned technique usage, misrepresentation of sect legacy, and endangering fellow disciples through misuse of spiritual energy."
Lin Tian bowed. "I understand."
"Let the record show the disciple acknowledges the charges."
"I acknowledge the words," Lin Tian said quietly. "Not their truth."
That made Elder Hu's mouth twitch.
Chen Mu whispered, "Careful. They want defiance they can punish. Stay measured."
The center elder raised a brow. "Very well. We begin with the first claim. That you wielded a fire-aspect technique not taught within this sect, against fellow disciple Xu Fang, in a manner suggesting unapproved advancement."
Guo stepped forward from the side gallery. Of course he was there. Dressed impeccably. Hair perfect. Smile just this side of smug.
"I witnessed the event," Guo said. "Xu Fang was scorched by a flame not consistent with our beginner Fire Palm. The strike carried too much precision. Too much... intent."
"You make it sound like I stabbed him," Lin Tian said.
Guo didn't look at him. "He could have been crippled."
"He wasn't."
"Only because he retreated."
The center elder held up a hand. "This chamber will not descend into squabble. Outer Disciple Lin Tian: what technique did you use?"
Lin Tian's voice was steady. "A variation on Fire Palm, taught to me by my guide."
"Ah yes," the elder said. "The spirit in the ring."
Chen Mu chuckled. "We're famous now."
[+1 BP for cheeky acceptance of notoriety.]
The elder leaned forward. "Do you claim this spirit is a legacy cultivator?"
"I claim nothing," Lin Tian said. "He chose me. I am simply following his instruction."
"And where did he come from?"
"I found the ring in the outer gardens. Discarded."
Hu finally spoke. "And conveniently, this discarded artifact contains a master with knowledge superior to the sect's?"
Chen Mu didn't wait.
"YOU DARE QUESTION MY WORD, YOU WHO BARELY SCRAPE THE FUMES OF TRUE FLAME?"
The Voice of Authority boomed across the room, loud enough to rattle the wall glyphs.
Guo flinched.
Hu's hand tightened on the edge of the tribunal bench.
The center elder straightened but said nothing.
[+6 BP for theatrical thunder.]
"I... apologize," Lin Tian said. "He speaks when his pride is touched."
"I see."
One of the other elders muttered something under his breath—likely a protective chant.
"Has this spirit taught you techniques not found in the sect?"
Lin Tian paused.
Chen Mu whispered, "This is the question they want. You need to lie with flavor, not facts."
"He has shown me how to refine what the sect has already provided," Lin Tian said. "Nothing more."
"And Fire Palm?"
"The same technique. But focused. Controlled."
"And do you deny the rumors that you speak to a remnant soul of a dead grandmaster?"
Lin Tian looked directly at Hu. "I speak to one who chose me when no one else would. That is enough."
[+4 BP for defiant humility.]
The room fell quiet.
After a moment, the center elder turned toward the others. They conferred briefly. Hu said little.
Finally, the verdict was given.
"No further disciplinary action will be taken. But consider this your only warning. If you or your... guide... demonstrate power outside your station again, consequences will follow."
Lin Tian bowed. "Understood."
"Dismissed."
Outside, the air felt heavier than inside. Colder. Lin Tian stepped down the pavilion stairs one step at a time, as if expecting the floor to vanish beneath him.
Chen Mu broke the silence first.
"Well. You didn't die."
"No thanks to Guo."
"Hu's the real problem. Guo's just the dagger. Hu's the hand."
They walked together in silence, Lin Tian keeping to the lesser-used paths, Chen Mu floating low and quiet.
"They're going to watch me closer now."
"They were already watching. Now they just won't pretend otherwise."
"Then what do I do?"
Chen Mu paused. "We stop reacting."
"What?"
"We start planning. Get stronger on our terms. We've been playing defense. It's time to take a step forward."
Lin Tian stopped beneath a crooked tree, where light barely filtered through.
"I'll need more than the basics."
"You'll get them. We've got BP to burn, and soon we'll have options."
Chen Mu pulled open the panel.
[System Status Panel – Chen Mu (Ring State)]
Bluff Points: 106
Soul Strength: 8
Current Vessel: Jade Ring (Damaged, Dusty, Slightly Sticky)
Abilities: Voice of Authority Lv.1, Soul Tap (1/day)
Manual Access: Beginner Cultivation Manual (Simulated)
Current Objective: Guide disciple through Qi Initiation Realm
Disciple Status: Qi Initiation – Early Stage (Nearing Mid)