151 Hidden Opponents

"What are your thoughts, Elder Bai?" Wang Jun asked as they sipped tea.

The years had not been kind to the older man, and fatigue wore away at him like rust did an iron bar—slowly, surely, and irreparably.

"My thoughts?" Elder Bai said. "Surely you know more about the situation than I do. I just find it odd that, despite the obvious machinations of the court, and despite your persuasive arguments against the price ceilings, he would still insist on them. He is affecting his own power in the long run."

Wang Jun nodded. "This play is far too incisive and targeted against me. He is minimizing our gains at the cost of consolidating his power. This behavior is at odds with his play for the throne. Therefore, I think there is someone in the shadows guiding his actions. That person is pushing the crown prince to act against me."

Elder Bai nodded but didn't add anything. There was only one possibility—the first young master's agent was now making bolder moves, hiding his true motives by using the political struggle.

"It looks like there won't be as great of a windfall as you predicted," Elder Bai observed.

"That's fine," Wang Jun said. "We will recover our capital and consolidate our profits much faster this way. In addition, we'll make the crown prince realize the unintended consequences of his actions."

"Which are?" Elder Bai said.

"If the price is capped, then I no longer have to sell to the highest bidder," Wang Jun replied. "Since a higher bid is impossible, I will only sell to our faction. I will milk their coffers dry while simultaneously bolstering their forces for the upcoming struggle. Meanwhile, the crown prince's forces will have much unsatiated demand for weapons. They will offer exorbitant prices on the black market."

"Isn't that against the Wang family rules?" Elder Bai asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Please quote the rule for me," Wang Jun said.

"Being caught committing a criminal commercial act is a punishable offense in the Wang family," Elder Bai said. Then, as though just realizing the implications, he rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you have a way of hiding your traces."

"Always," Wang Jun replied.

Suddenly, the door opened. A middle-aged man walked in unbidden.

Wang Jun frowned. "This had better be important," he said coldly.

"Of course," the middle-aged man said without batting an eyelash. "Though I suggest that the young master should lock the door and use a dampening device in the future when discussing such conversations. Otherwise you might find yourself suffering a loss."

"I'll take that into consideration," Wang Jun said. "What news have you brought us?" He observed the black-cloaked man carefully. While he couldn't tell what it was, something felt out of place about him.

"This servant has just made preliminary contact with some hidden forces in the city," the man said. "I thought it would be best to inform you immediately."

The man handed him a folio, which Wang Jun carefully opened. He nodded as he looked through the information. Looking up, he saw that the man hadn't left yet. "You are dismissed," he said. The man bowed and exited the room.

"Who is that man?" Wang Jun asked to Elder Bai.

"His name is Hei Ling, and he joined us two months ago," Elder Bai said. "He's been vetted by the family and specializes in dealing with more… unsavory businesses."

"If only I could trust the family," Wang Jun said. "Please find someone within the group who has been with us at least two years. And have Hei Ling tailed. There is something off about him, something I can't put my finger on."

"I'll put Li Ming on the job," Elder Bai said. "He's been excellent at covert operations like tracking people and remaining unseen. Truth be told, I once offered him a job as an assassin. He refused and said that it was a troublesome profession."

Wang Jun grimaced as he drank some tea, only to realize that it had grown cold. He chucked it out and brewed a new pot. While he might be busy, he wasn't that busy.

***

Cha Ming slept deeply that night and woke with Huxian still snoozing on his belly. The small fox was no longer shivering, and on his foxy muzzle was a contented smile. He carefully moved Huxian to the bed.

The Jade Bamboo's staff greeted him as he walked past. He nodded to them apologetically as he made his way to Wang Jun's office. The door opened automatically, revealing Wang Jun and a pot of tea. A larger bowl of Demon Soothing Tea was waiting off to the side.

"How are you feeling?" Wang Jun said as he gestured to the tea set.

"Much better," Cha Ming said. "I'm sorry for all the harsh words and the terrible attitude."

"I know that wasn't the real you," Wang Jun said, sighing. "I speculate it had something to do with Zhou Li. His curses are difficult for me to detect, let alone unravel."

They drank in silence for a half hour, with Wang Jun pouring. During this time, Cha Ming mulled over the many questions he had for his friend.

"Why are you here in the Song Kingdom?" Cha Ming finally asked. Wang Jun poured another cup and reached out to a device on his desk. He activated the opaque orb, and an invisible field permeated the room. It isolated Cha Ming's spiritual force and any sounds they made; no one outside would be able to hear them.

"I'm here because of a mission issued by my family," Wang Jun said. "It's an enormously difficult mission that's meant to test my ability to compete for the family's leadership. The other runner-up is my eldest brother, Wang Ling."

Cha Ming thought for a moment before asking his next question. "Why do you want to compete against you brother?"

"Because he killed my sister," Wang Jun said softly as his hands clenched around his delicate teacup, threatening to shatter it with the slightest additional pressure. "It's something I can't forgive him for. She was just an innocent, talented girl who wanted nothing to do with the leadership. She wouldn't have bothered to compete with him, but he saw her as a threat. My goal is to take over as the Wang family patriarch and kill him."

"And is the favor I owe you related to that?" Cha Ming asked. He felt his heart clench as he awaited the dreaded answer.

"Yes and no," Wang Jun said. "Wang Ling is backed by my family's transcendent. I see great potential in you, and I want you to block him when I make a move against my brother."

Cha Ming shut his eyes. "You know that's basically the same thing as killing him. I'll kill evildoers from time to time, but I'm not an assassin."

Wang Jun sighed. "I won't force you to do anything you're not comfortable with. Just relax and help me out however you can. If push comes to shove, I'll just change the favor."

It was a simple exchange, but it resolved the growing knot in Cha Ming's heart. He now felt much more relaxed about helping his friend's business in Songjing.

A soft knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Wang Jun disabled the device on his desk and walked over to open the door. A man clothed in a golden robe walked inside.

"We meet again," Cha Ming said, recognizing Chaplain Chen.

The man smiled. "I received an invitation from the second young master as soon as you left. The contents of his letter were intriguing, so I thought I'd pay a visit."

"I'm sure Brother Jun will help you out if it's within his capacity," Cha Ming said.

"I'm not happy to see you, but we both have things each other needs," the chaplain said, nodding curtly to Wang Jun.

"You know full well that I can't help my own physical situation," Wang Jun said awkwardly. He summoned a teapot, and he dropped ten golden leaves in. The gold in the leaves infused with the water, which soon glowed with a golden light. Wang Jun poured it into three cups. To Cha Ming's surprise, Wang Jun's own cup was considerably larger, something that would normally be considered rude.

"How luxurious," Chaplain Chen said. "Luminescent Sunflower Tea. Its brewing process was dictated by the Holy Mother aeons ago. I am surprised that you know of it, given your condition. Do you understand its uses?"

"I study all tea traditions and customs," Wang Jun said. "This is a tea of cooperation. It is meant to be served as an expression of good will and honesty." He took a large gulp from his own cup. "It is also a truth serum. Those who drink it cannot utter a lie."

Cha Ming followed his lead and took a sip, along with Chaplain Chen.

"I must confess that I would like nothing more than to win your support, Chaplain Chen," Wang Jun said. "But I understand how the Church of Justice operates. You will not change the way you behave for the sake of money.

"I'm happy that you understand," Chaplain Chen said. "I confess: I believe that your physique and shadow cultivation are an aberration. A man should not be able to hide from the light as you do. The powers of an inquisitor are useless against you. However, if I'm not mistaken, willingly drinking this tea means that your ability to lie has been inhibited. You drank this tea to reassure me. Am I right?"

"Quite right," Wang Jun said. "I have the larger cup because of my constitution, but for the next hour, I can tell no lies. Feel free to ask away."

"Very well, I confess myself intrigued," Chaplain Chen said. "You have offered me the services of a formation master who can set up a light-gathering formation. However, according to my assessment of this young man, I only see five-element cultivation. How is this possible?"

"I can best answer this question," Cha Ming said. He summoned five balls of colored light, one for each of the five elements. "The five elements are linked to creation and destruction."

A thick black star appeared, and so did a white circle, then another white stream flowed out. It turned azure and iridescent. Lightning crackled and wind blew.

"As a result, I can also control wind and lightning."

"This alone cannot create light," the chaplain said firmly.

"Quite right," Cha Ming said. "However, you saw my brother the other day. Huxian controls light and shadow simultaneously. Through our bond of brotherhood, I can make use of his demonic qi." Two additional balls appeared, one a glowing white and another a subdued black. They were very different from the black star and the white circle. They fed off themselves as soon as they appeared.

"Impressive," the chaplain said. "While others might think that the simultaneous presence of light and shadow is heresy, I know better. Nothing that bears the power of light can stray too far into the shadows, and only those who have touched the shadows can truly see the splendor of light. This is clear in the goddess's teachings: 'For no one who walks in the light will ever be alone in the darkness. The slightest speck will always be his guide.'"

"I think you're taking things a little too literally," Cha Ming blurted unintentionally. However, instead of getting offended, the chaplain simply smiled.

"Honesty is a virtue, so there is no need to be offended," the chaplain said as if reading Cha Ming's thoughts. "You are skeptical, but I believe this scripture from the bottom of my heart. Therefore your words can never lead me astray."

Wang Jun, who had kept silent during their exchange, finally butted into the conversation. "I take it that you wish to have a light-gathering formation?"

"I want three, and I will pay for them at the fair market price, adjusted for the remoteness of our location," the chaplain said firmly. "I will not owe you for it. However, what intrigues me more is his ability to create other light formations. There are two specific formations that I would like him to install. I will provide him single-use scrolls on both formations, and in exchange for their installation, I will gift your friend single-use scrolls on five light-based talismans and five light-based formations. What are your thoughts?"

"This seems overly generous," Wang Jun said. "The market value of these items far exceeds the value of two mid-grade formations."

"One of them is a grand formation," the chaplain explained. "It is extremely difficult to set up, and the material cost for it is much higher than for a normal project. However, desperate times call for desperate measures."

"What kind of formation are we talking about?" Cha Ming asked.

"The first is a Mid-Grade Spiritual-Detection Grand Formation," the chaplain explained. "It needs to encompass the entire church grounds. With it, we will be able to passively detect evil spirits. In addition, I need you to set up a Mid-Grade Exorcist Formation. Both would best be installed by a Buddhist monk, but no thanks to our order, they are in very short supply on the continent."

Cha Ming looked to Wang Jun, who nodded.

"Very well," said Wang Jun. "Cha Ming will first set up a light-gathering formation and then help you with both other formations. However, you will supply spirit stones for the activation and maintenance of each project."

"And you have no problem with me not owing you anything?" the chaplain asked doubtfully.

"The church being prolific in the Song Kingdom is to our advantage," Wang Jun said. "As Cha Ming has explained to you previously, devils are running rampant in the Song Kingdom. This must stop, or my businesses will suffer. The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

***

A few days later, Huxian was lazily lounging in the Church of Justice. He felt drained, and reasonably so. In a corner of the church, Cha Ming was steadily syphoning out his light qi into complex sub-formations. They were fixed to the floor via formation crystals, which had been secretly installed behind screens of light energy.

Huxian, please go get the chaplain and tell him the preparations are ready, Cha Ming said.

Huxian yawned and stretched out and trotted through the church unimpeded. The inquisitors and guards on duty had all come to know him. In fact, the pastors had preached the lesson of light and darkness, causing much of their initial apprehension to fade away. Now, only three of them disliked Huxian. They had told him straight to his face and then refused to speak with him further.

Huxian walked up to the chaplain's prayer room and scratched on the door with his tiny paw. The door soon opened and allowed him inside.

"Brother Cha Ming's preparations are ready," he said. "The formation needs one thousand high-grade spirit stones to activate. You should all get into position prior to its activation."

"Excellent," the chaplain said cheerfully while handing Huxian a bag of holding. "Please give these high-grade spirit stones to your brother and tell him to await the signal for activation."

As Huxian walked toward Cha Ming's location, he noticed many inquisitors swarming to the entrance and channeling their qi into shields of light. Many parishioners, who were kneeling at pews, began muttering amongst themselves.

"Do not panic," the pastor said in a soothing voice. "The chaplain will be holding a demonstration soon. It will be very beneficial to our church if you stay." The parishioners began speaking in excited whispers.

Huxian walked through a door toward the screen of light where Cha Ming was located. He dropped the bag of holding to the floor and cuddled up to his brother's leg for petting. Cha Ming scratched the back of his ears as they waited. The pleasant sound of a gong prompted him into action, and he immediately directed the high-grade spirit-stone energy through the nearby light-gathering formation. The formation roared to life and sent out beams of light as thick as an arm through the walls.

One by one, the pieces of the complex formation lit up. The light-gathering formation creaked and groaned under the strain of converting all thousand high-grade spirit stones in a short instant. It was a sacrificial formation, and it would break apart after the initial activation of the grand formation. By the time the last spirit stone was consumed, it collapsed into motes of light that were also absorbed by the larger one. Each node thrummed, and a light golden sheen spread out throughout the church.

A bloodcurdling scream caused Cha Ming to dart out into the hallway. An old servant who had been cleaning nearby was surprised by the sudden appearance of a ghostly figure. It was transparent, and its pitch-black eyes were filled with malice. Crimson veins completely covered the apparition.

Cha Ming sent out a lightning-based combat formation, instantly disintegrating the evil spirit. He continued along the outskirts with Huxian in tow. Nearby, a group of inquisitors brandished blades of light to banish the apparitions as they found them. They moved in a sweeping pattern that led them to the center of the church, where the pews were located.

"Reporting to the chaplain: We've slain three evil spirits!" an inquisitor yelled.

"Reporting to the chaplain: We've slain two evil spirits!" another yelled.

The reporting continued. When the chaplain looked to Cha Ming, the latter only held up a single finger. The man nodded and continued the tallying. It wasn't long before another scream sounded out. This time, it came from the pews.

"What is happening to you, honey?" a woman yelled.

Cha Ming looked toward an aged man who was covered in crimson veins from head to toe.

"It will be all right," the chaplain said reassuringly. He walked toward the man, who was struggling to free himself. The chaplain summoned the man against his will. "Miss Ji, your husband will return safe and sound. I promise."

Red-eyed, the woman nodded and bit back her tears.

After a full hour, the reports ceased to trickle in after six possessed individuals had been apprehended. The chaplain looked over to Cha Ming.

"You may begin," he said.

Cha Ming nodded and withdrew thirty-six white crystals, which he placed on the floor inside a nine-foot circle. He leafed through his memories and reviewed the information one last time before summoning the Clear Sky Brush.

The brush glowed with white demonic light as he painted two hundred complex lines with light essence. Painting the lines took a full incense time, and as soon as the last one was completed, the formation glowed as a single unit and rumbled to life.

Cha Ming bowed to the chaplain. "The Mid-Grade Exorcism Formation is ready."

The chaplain nodded. "Master inquisitors, with me," he said.

Nine figures in golden armor walked up to nine key points in a rehearsed manner. The men followed his instructions and began pouring qi into the formation. The chaplain waved his hand and summoned the older man he had captured before. He placed him in the center of the circle and bound him with his resplendent force.

"And the Blessed Mother did say, do not suffer the presence of remnants," the chaplain intoned. "For they are children of the shadows, and they do not belong in this world.

"Let not karma bind you with vengeance. Pass into the light and leave behind no regrets, for I am the light and will guide you to justice.

"Do not be tempted by corruption, whose crimson color blinds your eyes and binds your soul. Keep free from fetters that incite you to stray, for I am the sight that will lead you to glory.

"Do not doubt in your fellow man. If they be wrong, I will judge them accordingly. Trust in me, for I am the truth and will lead you to salvation."

The evil spirit screamed as the chaplain's incisive words wore away at its corrupting influence. Once the final word was completed, the crimson on the old man's body vanished. He prostrated himself weakly before the golden-robed man.

"Thank you, Chaplain," he said tearfully.

"Do not thank me," the chaplain said. "The goddess, in her mysterious ways, has saved you."

It didn't take long for the six possessed victims to undergo the same treatment. The chaplain allowed everyone to leave after their exorcism was completed. As they departed, the chaplain instructed them to guide their friends to the church for protection.

It was night by the time Cha Ming left with the payment of ten scrolls. To his surprise, it wasn't ten least-grade scrolls but one for each grade. He guessed that in the chaplain's opinion, having more light-based formations and talismans in the world could only be a good thing.

"Huxian, can I get a little light?" Cha Ming asked.

The fox cast a small white globe, which floated above them and illuminated the streets. They had stayed in the brightly lit church for three days. After so much time in the light, it was difficult to adjust to the darkness.