To Wuyi, with the exception of the monk, each mber of the Pavilion appeared uniquely special. He firmly believed the Pavilion Mistress to be a high-level diviner, far surpassing any ordinary fortune reader — she was authentically gifted. Furthermore, she was not the sole possessor of such divining capabilities.
His attention turned to Elder Yueli as he discreetly aid his Statue of Harmony in her direction. He pondered over the Pavilion Mistress's words: the divinations were not solely her doing; rather, it was a collective effort by the Pavilion, a concept that remained sowhat elusive to him.
The most plausible explanation he could deduce was that the Pavilion Mistress and the other mbers engaged in a specific form of divinatory practice, blending their techniques to perform divinations.
When he quested Elder Yueli with the Statue of Harmony, opting not to conceal his action with the Statue of Shadow, his aim was to gauge their sensitivity.. He encountered resistance, as if Elder Yueli had brushed away his probing energy. He could, if he wished, manipulate her emotions, but he was taken aback that they could sense his probing.
They must have thought he was using so sort of mystical enchantnt, rather than exploiting his cheat. If he used the Statue of Shadow, he could still quest her emotions without her detection, but this was just a test. He chose not to press further; it would serve him no purpose..
Lady Xueyan was observing the Monk. "He's infatuated with ," she remarked, almost dismissively. "My last lover. Couldn't the heavens have sent soone more appealing and gentle?" She turned, offering a wry smile.
"I think he was sent as a form of penance, a reminder of my past life," she mused. "Our sect didn't send us a monk last winter, so I took him in when he ca to the fort. We don't really need a monk for protection against evil or demonic forces; it's more of a tradition. I thought he might be interesting, but instead, he's—" She paused. "Why am I sharing this with you, young master?"
"As your Young Master, it's my responsibility to be inford about all your lovers," Wuyi replied, a bit audaciously.
She sized him up. "The Monk is a typical example of ignorance—barely literate in Ancient Zenith, knows only a handful of Buddhist scriptures by heart, and considers won to be beneath him."
She shook her head. "Yet, he ca here and is attracted to . Why are all my lovers like that?"
Wuyi smiled, reached out, and held the Pavilion Mistress's hand. "Maybe I'm destined to be your final lover," he suggested.
At that mont, he noticed the Monk seeing him hold the Pavilion Mistress's hand, visibly uncomfortable. "Interesting," thought Wuyi. The man might be detestable, but his devotion to the Pavilion Mistress seed genuine.
"Do you want your ear smacked again? I hear that's the trend, isn't it, young master?" Lady Xueyan remarked. "Please refrain, Young Master."
Wuyi realized he was still holding the pavilion mistress's hand shalessly. He pulled back, as if she had indeed slapped him. Elder Yueli looked displeased with both Wuyi and the Pavilion Mistress.
To break the awkwardness, he called over Yun Ming. "Have the coachn disassemble the wagons. Store the parts in the cellars. Lady Xueyan, we'll need so guides for that."
Lady Xueyan summoned her veteran warriors—eight seasoned, non-noble Qi initiate fighters she had hired at the Great Fair twelve years ago. They were led by Tianyu Zou, a burly yet gentle man whom Wuyi had briefly t the previous night.
"I've put the Noble Young Master in charge of our defenses," she announced. "His n need assistance settling in and guides to the storage areas. Tianyu, I trust them."
Tianyu gave a respectful nod, but his eyes seed to say, "The responsibility is yours."
"Do we have ready-to-use lumber for hoardings?" Wuyi inquired.
Tianyu nodded. "Yes, we have barricades, movable platforms, a few large crossbow platforms, and other minor defense devices." He stretched his neck, as if trying to relieve so tension. "When you're stationed in a fortress, you make the most of your ti."
Wuyi nodded appreciatively. "Thank you, Brother Tianyu."
"I'm not of noble birth," Luo interjected, having an issue with a noble calling him brother. "My father was a tanner."
Wuyi disregarded the comnt and turned to Yun Ming. "Once everyone is settled, assign fifty archers and the laborers to Tianyu. Get those hoardings up while the Qi warriors are on standby."
Yun Ming nodded, clearly in agreent.
"Place the disassembled wagons where the hoardings used to be," Wuyi continued. "Then we'll start patrols to bring in the local villagers. You need to understand that this place will be as crowded as a barrel of freshly salted fish. I want to make this clear in front of Lady Xueyan: there will be zero tolerance for misconduct or theft from n. The penalty is death for both.
My lady, I can't control every offhand comnt from my n, but we will make an effort."
She nodded. "It's the month of honoring our ancestors and the heavens, so it is appreciated," she added.
Yun Ming nodded in return. "I'll try to give up wine for a month to honor the heavens," he said, then looked down.
"The Heavens aren't concerned with what you give up, but rather, how virtuous you are," Elder Yueli responded, and Yun Ming gave her a timid smile. She smiled back.
Wuyi let out a deep sigh. "Elder Yueli, your spiritual guidance may be the cure we all need, but that will have to wait. First, we need to secure the fortress. Tianyu, you're in charge of that. I suggest my n take up residence in the towers and walkways. If ti allows, we'll either build beds or provide them with comfy cushions."
Lady Xueyan chid in, "My people will share rooms, four to each. I can accommodate the older won and single ladies from the farms in the Sleeping Chambers. The n and their families can stay in the hall, and any overflow can go to the stables."
Tianyu nodded. "Understood, my lady," he said, then turned to Wuyi. "I await your instructions."
He glanced around. "Do we plan to defend the Lower Town?"
Wuyi climbed onto the gate wall and surveyed the four streets of the town below. "For a short ti," he concluded, his gaze tracing the preparations below. Once the discussion was completed, everyone sprang into action..
As the first light of dawn broke, the sun bathed the fully fortified stronghold in a golden glow. The work of the past two days and nights had transford the place: barricades and mobile platforms were strategically positioned, large crossbow platforms erected, and special towers designed to support their weight stood tall.
Smaller ballistae were mounted on the less imposing towers, creating a formidable defense that blended seamlessly into the fort.
The intense effort had taken its toll, and except for a dozen n who remained on watch, vigilant and steadfast, the rest of the warriors were fast asleep on straw beds scattered throughout the fort. The Sleeping Chambers had been offered to local residents, providing refuge and security, while others found rest in the hall and the stables, their bodies weary but spirits high..
iying roused Wuyi from his ditation, alerting him to activity near the river. The previous evening, he had stationed a team of ten archers, a few Qi warriors, and two Qi adepts in the tower by the bridge, under Shen's leadership. They had been supplied with food and signaling talismans, and now they seed to be actively using them.
Whether they were just testing them or the demonics had begun to arrive, he was not sure.
He felt frustrated; he had just received a cultivation thod and needed to ditate to create his cultivation path for the future with the help of the Statue of Knowledge. Since leaving Lujingbao, Wuyi's first priority had always been survival. Here, survival was not a challenge for him.
Even if all the demonics, including the massive specter, attacked, he was certain he could escape and might even be able to save so of his people too. But that was not the outco he wanted. According to the Statue of Knowledge, if he did it right, he could win this battle against the demonics. For that, he needed to prepare well.
One of the preparations suggested by the statue was that he needed to improve his cultivation as soon as possible with the Resonance Technique, but his subordinates kept disturbing him for one task or another.
"Curse them," Wuyi muttered, staring at the freshly whitewashed ceiling. The thought of the massive specter was still on his mind. How does one fight sothing like that? That specter was at least as powerful as a Qi lord. His Statues of Valor and Shadow both were able to fight a Qi lord, but it seed this demonic being was more powerful than both of his statues.
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