As Morning Mist hurled technique after technique down on the Soaring Heavens invaders, Min spun lux into arrows, firing her bow at the enemy. They had taken Soaring Heavens by surprise with their resistance and had wounded, and perhaps even killed, several of their cultivators at the very beginning of the battle. The previous ancient scripts were buying Morning Mist a few previous minutes — but what could they do with it?

Now Soaring Heavens realized they had a true fight on their hands. They retreated, with Exalted Master Feng shouting orders, and formed into battle squads of three.

Min watched as best she could past the smoke, fog, brambles, and other barriers Morning Mist had placed in their way. She signaled for Brother Stone to halt. "Don't burn any more scripts. Wait until they're moving again," she ordered. "We don't want to waste our resources."

A few moments later, Soaring Heavens advanced once more in trios, with a higher-ranked cultivator at the front, supported by two lessors. They spread out around the headquarters to attack on multiple points.

Brother Stone shouted as another script activated. Min's arms were sore and her lux channels felt raw. She was trying to look for Exalted Master Feng, but the man had vanished in the chaos. They had repelled the teams attacking the front of the headquarters, but there were more attackers at the back, and she heard screams from downstairs.

Min shouted for Brother Stone to stay at his post, then scrambled down from the third floor, past the second floor, and found the stairs to the training room on the first floor flooded with fleeing Morning Mist cultivators and Brotherhood workers.

"They're coming, they're coming!" someone cried as he raced past her.

Min shoved through, trying to go the other way. She heard the sounds of fighting from below, and her heart sank. Soaring Heavens had gotten in.

"Disciple Yang told us to seek refuge on the next floor," a Brotherhood woman babbled.

Min clutched her shoulder and squeezed. "Do as the disciple said. Go seek refuge."

She let her pass, then took a deep breath, cycled lux, and bow in her hands, silently descended the stairs.

The training room below was a scene of chaos. Six Morning Mist acolytes grappled with a trio of Soaring Heavens cultivators, and they were clearly outmatched. The Soaring Heavens men cast techniques almost carelessly. Yes, the lux faded and dissipated in a few paces, but they were able to throw so many, filling the air with confusion. Colors flashed. The waves howled, whistled, and popped. A disciple fell back screaming, his hands burned. A Soaring Heavens cultivator tried casting a technique, but Min's arrow took him in the shoulder. He stumbled away, cursing.

The Morning Mist cultivators all had long staves, a relic of their origin in the Brotherhood. As commoners, their use of blades was restricted, but any good, stout-hearted Brotherhood man knew how to use a six-foot length of oak. It was right there in the name, after all. The disciples were falling back on that earlier training and getting in a few good knocks, but up against cultivators already past the Peak of Bodily Refinement, it was hopeless.

Seeing all this in an instant, Min raised her bow and shot an arrow at the nearest Soaring Heavens man. He didn't even turn toward her, just tossed out a web of orange lux that caught her arrow and harmlessly dissipated it.

Then, through the open door, Exalted Master Feng strode in. Techniques flew out of his hands, ropes of blue and yellow that wrapped around the Morning Mist cultivators, tying them. They fell to the ground like fallen logs.

"Haul them out of here and see that they remain out of the way," Feng ordered, even as the lux bonds began to decay. His underlings sprang forward and dragged the disciples out of the tower.

Feng stepped over the threshold. His eyes met Min's, and he smiled.

"Well met, Lady Min," he said. "I am here to negotiate for your sect's surrender."

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She could flee up the stairs, but there was nowhere to go. Even if Brother Stone was fighting up above, it was hopeless.

Min took a deep breath.

"Exalted Master Feng, welcome to the home of Morning Mist."

"The former home," he corrected her. "After we have defeated and destroyed your sect, it will make a fine new outpost for us. A suitable blood debt for my brother. But I must ask you again, where are Young Masters Wu and Joshi? Are they hiding? Are they truly such cowards? Will your husband come out with your life at stake?"

"They aren't here," she told him. "They're on a training journey."

"Nonsense. We heard from the villagers that they were here not two weeks ago. I cannot believe that they would have abandoned this valley so soon after discovering it. Why are they hiding? Are they afraid of me?"

His voice rose as he strode into the room, raising his hands and his face toward the ceiling.

"Heavens witness my justified rage! I will avenge myself on those who have wronged me. I swear blood vengeance against Morning Mist! And if their superiors will not answer, I shall take out my vengeance on their lessors!"

Min's blood ran cold. There would be no reasoning with him. She had to find a way to delay, to buy her people time.

Feng pointed at her. Cords of lux shot out and wrapped around her arms, tugging her forward. The cords began to dissipate almost as soon as they touched her, thanks to the dampening effect of the room, but he just laughed and reapplied them.

"Let's see what's exhausted first the lux of your well, or the strength of these wards?"

Step by step, Min was forced to approach until she stood only feet away.

His followers, their tasks done, had returned. Feng turned his head. "Find the others and stop this nonsense. They're burning up priceless treasures that are ours now," he ordered as more Soaring Heavens cultivators poured into the headquarters.

Min couldn't help counting as they went up. A dozen. Fifteen. Eighteen. And Feng remained behind with her.

"If Wu and Joshi are here in this tower, they'll find them, and they'll bring them here. And I assure you, if I am forced to suffer and wait, I will make your husband suffer just as I have. Do you think, if I kill you in front of him, it will hurt him the way he has hurt me?"

Min couldn't help scoffing. She spat at the floor. "Your threats are as preposterous as you are."

His face twisted with rage, and for an instant, she though he'd slap him. "We shall see about that," he said coldly.

Min frantically tried to think of a way out of this predicament. Their sect, everyone she had brought with her to this valley, hung in the balance. Laughing, Feng prepared a weave.

Min drew in lux, cycling it, feeling its calming, thick, soothing presence all through her body. The bonds holding her dissolved, but Feng didn't seem to care. He took a step away, smiling cruelly. "Go ahead," he told her. "I see you've learned a trick or two. You think you are a match for me?"

She couldn't beat him, but she didn't have to. All she had to do was hold out long enough for Master Noren to realize what was going on and come to their aid. If he could get away from the Inquisitor. Somehow, she felt certain that he could. His attitude after having met Inquisitor Pak previously told Min that he wasn't afraid of her.

It was all she could hope for now.

So, Min readied herself, calling up her bow, setting an arrow to its string, just as Feng threw his technique. She shot an arrow at it, launched herself to the side and formed another arrow.

He spun and hurled another technique at her head. She shot her second arrow, intercepting the weave. Her arrows weren't as powerful as his techniques, and she was surprised to see the strands of lux unravel so quickly.

Feng growled. "How are you managing this?" he demanded, even as he spun a third technique.

It had to be a result of the dampening wards built into the walls of this room. Min's heart leapt for just a moment.

Then Feng, growling, drew a sword. "Then I'll do it the hard way. I had wanted to leave you alive until your husband returned. But I'll present him with your head instead."

People clattered down the stairs, Soaring Heavens cultivators chivvying Morning Mist prisoners, who protested but had no choice. They filed into the room.

"Good!" Feng shouted. "You can witness this!" He advanced on Min, sword in hand.

There was a whooshing noise behind Min. She didn't dare look, but Feng stopped, his attention drawn to something over her shoulder.

Min took the opportunity to back away, glancing to the side as she went. A hole had just formed in one wall of the training room, filled with silvery light, leading, she knew not where.

Min hesitated. Should she throw herself through?

And then, out of the hole, emerged Chang-li and Joshi. Min stopped dead, staring, Feng forgotten.

They looked exhausted. Chang-li had blood from multiple tiny cuts on his face, and his robes were gone. He stood there in his white linen pants and the remains of his undertunic. Joshi looked in better shape; he at least still had his robe, but he too looked weary.

The two of them stared as the hole behind them snapped shut.

"What's going on here?" Chang-li asked. He pointed. "Who's this?"

Then his eyes widened. "Soaring Heavens!"

Feng stepped forward, his sword in one hand. He didn't bow, but instead pointed his sword at them.

"I am Exalted Master Feng of the Soaring Heavens Sect. You underhanded dogs killed my brother. I am here to take my revenge upon you and all your sect. I will—"

Chang-li charged him, a weave forming between his hands, his face twisted and distorted with rage and anger. Terrified, Min backed away.

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