The night after the great battle was unusually quiet.
Dongtai Prefecture had always been a place filled with noise, from the cries of merchants and the hurried footsteps of commoners to the sounds of martial artists exchanging blows in the training grounds, but tonight, even the wind seemed to carry a trace of mourning. Large portions of the city had been reduced to ruins, streets were buried beneath collapsed buildings, and the faint remnants of Yin Qi still lingered between the broken walls like a thin layer of mist that refused to disperse.
The Su Family courtyard was no exception.
Although the main residence had survived the worst of the destruction, several outer buildings had collapsed during the battle, and many familiar faces were now absent.
Inside the council hall, the surviving elders sat in silence.
At the head of the room sat the Su Family Patriarch.
His face was pale, his robes were still stained with blood, and although his injuries had been treated, the battle with the Wei and Liu Family Ancestors had left his body exhausted. Beside him sat the Su Family Ancestor, who had also sustained injuries after his battle with the Jade Sword Palace Leader.
Two Astral Gang experts.
That alone would have been enough to make the Su Family one of the most formidable forces in Dongtai Prefecture.
Yet no one in the hall looked particularly happy.
The Patriarch lowered his gaze towards the reports placed before him.
"How many?"
One of the elders swallowed.
"We lost three hundred and seventeen members of the family and affiliated guards."
The hall became even quieter.
"Among them are forty-two martial artists above the Bone Refining Realm, eleven Xuan Gang experts, and..."
The elder hesitated.
"Two elders."
The Patriarch's fingers tightened around the armrest.
He closed his eyes briefly.
The number was already enough to make his heart ache.
But this was only one side of the matter.
The Wei Family and Liu Family had been destroyed almost completely.
The two families had existed for generations, their influence spreading across numerous streets, businesses, estates, martial halls and surrounding towns. With their Ancestors dead and their strongest experts annihilated, their territories had suddenly become ownerless.
The Su Family had won.
But victory had created another problem.
"We cannot swallow everything," the Patriarch finally said.
Several elders nodded.
The Su Family's territory had already stretched close to its limit. If they attempted to occupy all of the Wei and Liu Family territories at once, they would have to divide their already limited manpower among too many locations.
That would leave them vulnerable.
"Then we should cooperate with the Zhou Family."
An elder finally spoke.
Several people turned towards him.
"The Zhou Family?"
"Yes."
The elder nodded.
"They are the weakest of the four great families, but they have something that the other three families never possessed."
"Connections."
The word fell quietly into the hall.
The Zhou Family had always been considered the weakest of the four great families of Dongtai Prefecture.
Their martial strength was inferior to the Su, Wei and Liu Families, and they had never possessed an Astral Gang expert capable of dominating the prefecture.
Yet despite their weakness, the Zhou Family had survived for generations.
There were rumours that they possessed deep connections with a powerful force in the provincial capital.
No one knew precisely what those connections were.
But the fact that the Zhou Family had managed to remain untouched through numerous changes in Dongtai Prefecture was enough to make the other families wary.
The Patriarch tapped his fingers against the table.
"If we cooperate with the Zhou Family, we can divide the territories between us."
"Exactly."
Another elder nodded.
"Several minor forces have already begun moving. If we don't act quickly, they'll occupy the Wei and Liu territories themselves."
A cold glint appeared within the Patriarch's eyes.
That was something he absolutely could not allow.
The Wei and Liu Families were gone.
Their businesses, properties and influence were now pieces of meat lying on the ground.
Every nearby force would want a piece.
"The Su Family has two Astral Gang experts now," one elder said slowly. "And Young Master Su Yang has also demonstrated extraordinary potential."
His gaze swept across the hall.
"With the current reputation of our family, we possess both the strength and the justification to claim a substantial portion of the territories."
The Patriarch remained silent.
He knew the elder was right.
The Su Family had suffered terribly.
But it had also emerged stronger than before.
The death of the Wei and Liu Ancestors had created a vacuum, and the Su Family now possessed the strength necessary to fill part of it.
The question was how much they could safely take.
After a long silence, the Patriarch finally spoke.
"Contact the Zhou Family."
The elders looked towards him.
"We will discuss cooperation."
His gaze hardened.
"But we will not overextend ourselves. Consolidate what we can control first, then slowly expand."
"Understood."
The discussion continued late into the night.
For the first time since the catastrophe, the Su Family was no longer discussing whether it would survive.
They were discussing how much of Dongtai Prefecture they could claim.
The family that had nearly been destroyed had begun to rebuild.
And this time, it would stand upon a foundation far stronger than before.
---
Meanwhile, inside another courtyard of the Su Family residence, Su Yang sat cross-legged upon his bed.
His breathing was slow and steady.
With every breath, True Essence circulated through his meridians before returning to his dantian, gradually calming the turbulence left behind by the battle.
His injuries had already been mostly healed thanks to the pill Lin Sheng had given him, but the experience had left him with much to reflect upon.
He had nearly died.
If his master had arrived only a few moments later, he would have become nothing more than another corpse beneath the ruins.
Su Yang slowly opened his eyes.
His consciousness entered his storage ring.
There, among the treasures he had accumulated over the years, lay a jade slip.
He retrieved it.
Four Symbols Profound Scripture.
Su Yang's eyes brightened.
This was an Internal True Scripture.
The cultivation method was extremely profound, far beyond the ordinary Internal Arts he had previously cultivated.
The Four Symbols Profound Scripture did not cultivate a single attribute of True Qi.
Instead, it required the practitioner to absorb four different elemental energies.
Water, Earth, Fire and Wind.
The four forms of True Qi would then circulate through the meridians according to a special cycle before converging within the dantian, where they would maintain a delicate balance.
The principle behind the technique was simple.
Balance produced stability.
Stability produced a stronger foundation.
And a stronger foundation allowed one to walk farther along the martial path.
But the method had an obvious weakness.
Resources.
Cultivating four elemental True Qi simultaneously consumed far more resources than cultivating a single attribute.
Su Yang estimated that even with his current resources, advancing to Xuan Gang would require at least half a year.
Perhaps longer.
Yet he didn't feel disappointed.
He had already experienced the terror of fighting an Astral Gang expert.
He understood that a weak foundation would only become a shackle in the future.
If he wanted to follow his master's path, then he couldn't afford to be impatient.
Su Yang closed his eyes again.
The Four Symbols Profound Scripture began circulating.
Water True Qi flowed like a gentle river.
Earth True Qi was heavy and stable.
Fire True Qi burned with fierce vitality.
Wind True Qi moved freely through his meridians.
Four different powers that should have been incompatible gradually formed a harmonious cycle within his body.
Time passed slowly.
Eventually, Su Yang opened his eyes.
He felt a familiar presence.
His expression immediately changed.
"Master."
He turned his head.
Lin Sheng was already standing inside the room.
Su Yang immediately rose from the bed and bowed.
"Greetings, Master."
Lin Sheng nodded.
He did not say anything.
Instead, he took out a small jade-coloured pill container and tossed it towards Su Yang.
Su Yang caught it instinctively.
The moment the container entered his hands, a sweet medicinal fragrance escaped from the opening.
His expression changed.
Even through the sealed container, he could sense the astonishing medicinal energy contained within.
"What's this?"
"Your reward."
Lin Sheng's voice was calm.
"For surviving."
Su Yang stared at the pill container.
His fingers tightened slightly around it.
"Master..."
"Don't ask."
Lin Sheng walked towards the window.
"Your foundation is already good enough. From now on, I want you to focus primarily on your Internal Arts."
Su Yang listened carefully.
"Once you reach Xuan Gang, your body will undergo a transformation."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Your marrow will experience another cleansing."
Su Yang's expression became serious.
His External Arts had already reached the Marrow Cleansing Realm, but his progress had slowed considerably after entering the deeper stages.
The breakthrough of his Internal Arts could provide him with another opportunity.
"When the Xuan Gang transformation cleanses your marrow, use that force to push your External Arts forward."
Lin Sheng looked back at him.
"Your current marrow foundation is already strong. If you use the transformation properly, you should be able to push your Marrow Cleansing Realm to Major Accomplishment."
Su Yang's heart stirred.
He immediately understood what his master meant.
The Internal and External paths could complement one another.
His Internal Arts would provide the breakthrough.
His body would benefit from the transformation.
And the strengthened body would in turn support his future Internal cultivation.
However, Lin Sheng's next words poured cold water over his excitement.
"Don't expect another major breakthrough in your External Arts afterward."
Su Yang blinked.
"You'll need to accumulate."
Lin Sheng's tone remained calm.
"A lot of accumulation."
His gaze became slightly deeper.
"Your body has already been strengthened considerably. The higher you go, the more resources and time you'll need to continue tempering it. Don't become impatient simply because your Internal cultivation advances faster."
Su Yang nodded.
"I understand."
"Good."
Lin Sheng turned around.
"Your priority now is the Internal path."
Su Yang looked at the pill container in his hands.
He hesitated for a moment.
There was something he wanted to ask. He knows that his cultivation of 4 different True Qi would easily be known by his master.
And most importantly, about the terrifying strength Lin Sheng had displayed during the battle.
But before he could speak, Lin Sheng interrupted him.
"Everyone has their secrets."
Su Yang froze.
Lin Sheng looked at him calmly.
"You don't need to tell me everything about yourself."
His voice softened slightly.
"And you don't need to ask about everything concerning me."
Su Yang lowered his head.
"Master..."
"You are my disciple."
Lin Sheng continued.
"That's enough."
He paused.
"I only want you to remain alive and cultivate properly."
Su Yang's eyes trembled slightly.
He had expected his master to demand loyalty.
Instead, Lin Sheng had given him something far simpler.
Trust.
Su Yang bowed deeply.
"Yes, Master."
Lin Sheng nodded.
Then, as if remembering something, he casually added,
"As for your girlfriend, she's with her master recovering. You don't need to worry about her for the time being."
Silence.
Su Yang's face slowly turned red.
"G-girlfriend?"
Lin Sheng raised an eyebrow.
"Isn't that what she is?"
Su Yang's ears became red.
"Master, Shen Bing and I..."
He couldn't finish the sentence.
Lin Sheng looked at his embarrassed expression for several breaths before a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"There's no need to explain."
Su Yang lowered his head even further.
"Yes, Master."
Outside the courtyard, the night wind swept through the damaged branches of the trees, carrying with it the faint smell of medicinal herbs and the distant sounds of reconstruction.