Ashlock was curious about what the Silverspires could want. They had been quiet since their last meeting under his canopy, where Sebastian had helped pick out the mirror artifact for Stella and contacted a Sage Advisor of the Eternal Pursuit Pavilion to get Diana registered.
It had been one of the first meetings where Stella and the others showed their faces and welcomed the Silverspires more into the inner circle. Of course, they were still in the dark about many things, like the Mystic Realm and the truffles. But Ashlock liked to think their relationship with the Silverspire family scion had strengthened despite the poor results from selling pills thus far.
"Are they mad about a lack of profits?" Ashlock mused, "Or maybe they have concerns about Ashfallen City appearing overnight at the base of the mountain?"
"Why do I have to deal with them?" Stella grumbled as she followed the Redclaw Grand Elder to the meeting room with Jasmine in tow. "This is supposed to be Diana's job."
"Sorry Stella, but Diana is still busy with Julian," Ashlock said. It hadn't been long since Stella and Jasmine left Nox to see Kaida. Diana and Julian still had a lot of things to work out, so they would likely be busy until evening.
"Oh, and I'm not busy?" Stella complained to the ceiling.
"Master, who are you speaking to?" Jasmine tugged on her arm with concern.
Stella clicked her tongue, "The immortal. Sorry, I usually speak to him telepathically, but my mind was elsewhere."
"I wish I could speak to him."
"No, you don't," Stella patted her head, "Breaking your mind aside, all he does is demand things."
Ashlock couldn't believe the slander he was hearing, "I do not only demand things. You are painting a bad image of me—"
Jasmine pouted, "Sounds like my mom."
"Exactly! Would you like it if your mom could nag you from anywhere straight into your mind?" Stella smirked as she looked up at the ceiling. Was this her way of getting back at him for asking her to deliver some truffles and attend a meeting? Just how lazy was she.
"That sounds terrible, Master," Jasmine said, patting Stella on the back.
The Grand Elder, walking up ahead, remained quiet while Stella ranted. Shaking his head, he opened the door to the meeting room and stepped through.
Stella strode close behind with her usual impatience and arrogance as she scanned the room. There were two sofas and two chairs placed around a small table. Sebastian and Ryker Silverspire occupied the far sofa, and a neat pile of spirit stones was on the table.
"Please take a seat," Sebastian gestured to the sofa nearest the door.
Stella reluctantly sat down, and Jasmine sat beside her.
"What did you need to see me for? Is it to do with these spirit stones?"
"Partially," Sebastian pushed the pile closer to Stella, "I finally managed to sell those artifacts you looted from the bounty hunters last time we met. This is your share of that. Around 2000 high-grade spirit stones."
Stella didn't show interest as she waved her hand over the pile, making it disappear like a magic trick in a flash of silver light.
"Was that all you needed?" Stella asked impatiently.
Sebastian and Ryker exchanged a glance.
"No, we had another topic we wanted to discuss, but it's quite sensitive." Sebastian glanced at Jasmine, who sat beside Stella, "May I ask who this is?"
"This is Jasmine, my Disciple." Stella said casually as she crossed her legs and relaxed, "Anything you would say to me, you can say to her."
"You took her on as a Disciple?!" The Redclaw Grand Elder stroked his chin, "What a surprising turn of events! I should inform the other Elders and maids so Mistress Jasmine will receive the appropriate treatment benefiting her new position."
"Stop being dramatic," Stella rolled her eyes. "Just get on with the topic you wish to discuss. You are all wearing on my patience."
"To think the daughter of the immortal took on a disciple." Sebastian bowed slightly, "I apologize for questioning your presence, Mistress Jasmine."
"It's uh fine..." Jasmine seemed flustered by having such powerful cultivators bowing toward her.
"Big sister took on a small sister?" Ryker seemed thrilled, "Can I also be a Disciple of big sister?"
"No. I didn't come here for this." Stella clicked her tongue. "If you wanted to have a long, drawn-out conversation, you should have waited for Diana to be free."
"I was actually hoping to speak directly with you, Mistress Stella, as you are the only one with enough authority under the immortal to humor my request."
"And what might that be?"
Sebastian leaned closer, "I am not blind nor deaf. I closely watch the surroundings and the ongoings here in the Redclaw's residence for Ryker's safety and my own."
Stella narrowed her eyes, "What are you suggesting?"
"When I arrived here as the bodyguard for the youngest heir of the Silverspire family, I had low expectations. Ryker is inexperienced as he is only 5 years old, and he had seemingly drawn a short straw by having to come here to Darklight City. To my knowledge, there was little industry here, and Ryker lacked connections to do large-scale business with other cities or even sects."
Ryker lowered his head as if embarrassed.
"As you know, there is a fierce ongoing competition between Ryker and his siblings for the Silver Core that the Silverspire Grand Elder will shed as he ascends to the Golden Core stage. However, I didn't tell you the real reason behind the competition."
That confused Ashlock. "Since age isn't the defining factor for strength in this world and the Silverspire family is focused on money making, the logic of sending all the heirs out to different cities and having them compete in business seemed like a good idea to test who is worthy of inheriting the Silver Core," Ashlock pondered. It didn't make sense for that not to be the reason.
Stella leaned on her hand, seemingly unimpressed, "So? What is the real reason?"
"It's a political maneuver," Sebastian sighed, "It's well known that whenever someone in the Blood Lotus Sect ascends to the Nascent Soul Realm, they mysteriously die soon after. Sometimes, it's in a sudden war; other times, they are killed while cultivating. The Silverspire Grand Elder is about to step into this realm, and he's noticed this pattern. So he sent out his heirs to every major city in the sect under the pretense of competition, but really, it's the groundwork for a mutiny."
Ashlock felt like a bombshell had just dropped. A butler of the second most powerful family in the Blood Lotus Sect openly admitting his family's plan to overthrow Vincent Nightrose, a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, showed a deep trust.
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"Oh, a mutiny?" Stella said, unimpressed.
"Tree, what the hell is a mutiny?" Stella mentally asked. "I never studied politics stuff."
"It means the Silverspire family is planning to overthrow Vincent Nightrose," Ashlock replied. "It's serious to admit that so openly. This is getting interesting."
The Redclaw Grand Elder studied Stella's bored expression, "How couldn't I have seen this before? Everything makes sense now..."
Stella tilted her head to the Grand Elder, "What now?"
"Nothing much; I just felt like your lacking reaction to such news solidified a few theories I had regarding yourself and the immortal." The Grand Elder said.
"What theories?" Stella seemed awoken from her boredom.
"May I speak without reserve?"
"Can he?" Stella asked the ceiling.
Ashlock was curious about what conclusion the Grand Elder had reached, and his oath of loyalty wasn't triggering, so it likely wasn't in bad faith. "Let him."
Stella sighed, "Go on, Grand Elder."
"When we first met, you claimed that Ashfallen was a secret faction led by your Ancestor, right? And the Patriarch was a Grand Elder of the Ashfallen Sect under his control."
"Is that really true?" Sebastian seemed taken aback, and Ashlock could feel the man's Star Core pulse in his chest. He was now on edge.
"Did this old fool really have to bring that up right now?" Ashlock sighed. The Silverspires were about to let them in on a plan to change the Blood Lotus Sect forever, yet he just had to run his mouth. "Why did I let my curiosity get the better of me?"
Stella closed her eyes with a frown.
"Tree, did I say that?" She asked him telepathically.
"I think so? Honestly, I have lost track of what lie we have told who. Best to just play along and nod your head."
Stella opened her eyes and nodded.
"You also said that Larry, the guardian beast, wiped out the Winterwrath and Evergreen families because they discovered the immortal's existence." The Grand Elder continued.
Stella nodded again.
The Grand Elder turned to Sebastian, "I believe the Ravenborne Grand Elder, who had just ascended to Nascent Soul Realm, discovered the immortal and was therefore wiped out by the guardian beast. It wasn't an act by Vincent Nightrose to eliminate competition. Therefore, I suspect that other Nascent Soul Realm cultivators have also been wiped out by Larry because they will discover the immortal, and his existence is to be kept secret."
Ashlock had no idea where the Grand Elder had gotten these ideas. Larry hadn't even been the one to kill the Ravenborne Grand Elder. The man had gone supernova.
Yet Sebastian seemed convinced by the story and was ready to draw his sword to fight to the death, and Ryker looked equally terrified. Meanwhile, Stella kept nodding with a bored expression, but internally, she wasn't so calm.
"Tree, what in all the realms is this idiot Grand Elder sprouting? We never did such things." Stella shouted telepathically, "Is he trying to ruin our relationship with the Silverspire family by saying such lies?"
"To be fair, we were the ones who told such a ridiculous lie in the first place and left a lot to be misinterpreted," Ashlock sighed again as he got ready to use Spatial Lock on the Silverspires to prevent them from escaping. This was one big mess. The lie they told got them through the early days when they had been weaker than the Redclaw family. But now, it was a chink in their armor. "Just keep nodding, but get ready to pull Jasmine out of there. I have no idea where he's going with this, but to shut him up now will forever sour our relationship with the Silverspires."
"So what you're saying is we have entered into business with the true ruler of the Blood Lotus Sect, the immortal, who acts from the shadows?" Sebastian asked calmly as he straightened his back.
"Future ruler," The Grand Elder corrected.
"Pardon?" Sebastian rubbed his temples, "I don't think I am following."
"You have felt how the immortal's powers have grown at such a rapid rate while you have been here, correct? His overwhelming presence and power seep through every inch of this mountain range like an ever-present fog."
"That it has," Sebastian nodded.
The Grand Elder rubbed his chin, "Now imagine this. If you ascended to the next layer of creation and suffered from a severe injury that forced you to return down here to the sect you had once called home with a crippled cultivation, what would you do?"
Sebastian's expression turned serious, "Ideally, I would hide where nobody could find me. But if my return was known, I would fake my cultivation level by any means necessary while I ascend back to my peak strength."
The Grand Elder grinned as he glanced at Stella, "You have repeatedly mentioned that the immortal is recovering within the mountain. Anyone that could serve as a threat to discovering his state is quietly wiped out, and the Patriarch is kept at arm's length."
Sebastian's eyes widened, "Does the Patriarch not know that the immortal is weakened?"
"I always found it strange that as the immortal's strength recovered, the more antagonistic our actions against the Blood Lotus Sect became." The Grand Elder stood and began pacing the room, "We caused a war between the Voidmind and Skyrend families. Both sides were carefully weakened. The Voidmind family lost multiple Elders at the alchemy tournament, and we stole their entire city of mortals from under their noses. Meanwhile, the Skyrends had their scions killed, and there are rumors from other nobles at the Academy that half of the Skyrend family was mysteriously wiped out on their own mountain by a void beast."
"Say what now? Hey Grand Elder, you can't say such a rumor so lightly! The Skyrend family was attacked on their own mountain by a void beast? I can only think of one culprit... that was definitely Maple's doing," Ashlock groaned to himself, "And the rest of those were not plans but rather attempts to survive. The Grand Elder is seeing the results but is clueless of the motives behind them, so he's making ridiculous leaps in logic."
The Grand Elder paused beside the window, "It was almost as if the immortal is planning for an aggressive change in leadership for the Blood Lotus Sect by slowly wiping out the families most loyal to the Patriarch." The Grand Elder turned with his hands behind his back, "If my theory is correct, Sebastian, you have come to the right people. We share a common enemy and goal. To kill Vincent Nightrose and overtake the Blood Lotus Sect. Is that right, Mistress Stella?"
Ashlock was astounded. "How can he be so wrong that he went all the way around to be right? That's honestly a talent."
Sebastian and the Grand Elder turned to look at Stella expectantly.
Stella returned a bored gaze. "Did it really take you that long to figure out the extent of our plans? You were involved in half of them, and we hardly hid anything from you. I honestly expected better from you, Grand Elder." Stella smiled. She was clearly having fun with this, "You were right about most things but have only gleaned the surface."
The Grand Elder gave a deep bow, "As expected of the immortal and his daughter. Even with all the clues he has given me, this was the extent of my insight. If he could enlighten me about the rest of the plans, I could help more—"
"I don't have the time or patience for that. You can figure out the rest of the plans yourself," Stella waved him off and turned her focus to Sebastian, "As you heard from the Grand Elder here, we do indeed share a common enemy and goal. The death of Vincent Nightrose is one of our many objectives. So, with that in mind, what was your request?"
"Good deflection, Stella," Ashlock laughed, "We got to keep them guessing."
Sebastian paused to gather his thoughts. He seemed to treat Stella even more seriously than before, and Jasmine seemed in awe of her Master as she kept deathly quiet to the side.
"I have been sending reports back to Ryker's mother. Enough details that she gets the picture of what is happening here, but I, of course, kept a lot of information to myself. She doesn't hold the most authority in the Silverspire family, but with the Grand Elder in closed-door cultivation, she holds some sway," Sebastian glanced at the Redclaw Grand Elder, "As I said, I am not deaf or blind. The Redclaw family vanishes for a week at a time and returns far stronger. This is also true for Mistress Stella, Diana, and others. Even the immortal is rapidly regaining his strength."
"How observant," Stella flexed her Star Core as she stopped slouching and got serious, causing both Silverspires to flinch under the sudden pressure. "Choose your next words carefully."
Sebastian gulped, "From the Qi density, I suspect the immortal is on the cusp of reaching the Nascent Soul Realm. I reported to Ryker's mother, who mostly keeps to herself in the family, how there was another at such a realm that could help our Grand Elder take on Vincent Nightrose. I also explained how fast everyone here progresses—"
A black blade wreathed in purple flames materialized next to Sebastian's neck. It pressed against his skin as Stella glared at him. "You took an oath of secrecy, did you not? How are you able to leak such information."
"Only in regards to our business deal and the production of pills," Sebastian replied as he eyed the blade, "Not toward the Redclaws or Ashfallen as a whole."
Stella clicked her tongue, "Give me a good reason I shouldn't behead you right now."
"Please don't, big sister!" Ryker begged, "We want to be friends!"
"Friends?" Stella narrowed her eyes, "I am very selective of my friends, and those that leak information behind my back don't make the cut. The more that word of us gets out, the greater the risk Ashfallen faces!"
"Please forgive me, I had to get permission from Ryker's mother."
"For what?"
Sebastian placed his hand on the back of Ryker's head, and they both bowed despite the black blade biting into his neck and drawing blood, "Mistress Stella, would it be possible to welcome Ryker and myself into your inner circle? To share this method of advancement that would far surpass the value of inheriting the Silver Core? We are willing to sign an oath of absolute loyalty, which I hope you understand is a big deal for an heir and servant to undertake. This would turn Ryker's branch of the Silverspire family into a close ally with Ashfallen."
Silence filled the room.
"Please..." Sebastian begged one last time, and his eyes widened as the sword was withdrawn from his neck.
