Liu Shen returned three hours later, pale and trembling but alive.
Kael looked up from the merchant ledgers he'd been studying, noting the sweat staining Liu Shen's collar despite the cool afternoon air. The man's hands shook as he clutched a sealed envelope—expensive paper, red wax bearing the Azure Sky Sect's official stamp.
"He didn't kill you," Kael observed. "Optimal outcome."
"He wanted to." Liu Shen's voice was hollow. "I could see it in his eyes. The only thing that stopped him was curiosity." He dropped the envelope on the desk like it was contaminated. "He wants to meet. Tonight. Abandoned shrine on the eastern boundary of sect territory."
Kael picked up the envelope, examining the seal. Genuine. The wax showed no signs of tampering, and the spiritual energy residue matched Foundation Establishment level. Elder Greaves had responded personally.
"Alone?" Kael asked.
"He specified you come alone. If he senses anyone else within a hundred meters, he'll kill you immediately and hunt down everyone connected to the message." Liu Shen collapsed onto a nearby crate. "This is insane. You're walking into an obvious trap."
"Not obvious. Calculated." Kael broke the seal, scanning the brief message inside. The calligraphy was precise, controlled—the handwriting of someone used to authority. "Greaves wants to assess me personally before deciding on a response. If he'd wanted me dead immediately, he'd have traced Liu Shen back here and attacked the warehouse. The meeting means he's considering negotiation."
"Or he wants to torture you for information before killing you."
"Possible. Probability approximately thirty percent." Kael filed the message away. "The remaining seventy percent splits between genuine negotiation and testing my capabilities. Either way, attending provides more data than avoiding."
Chen Wei, who'd been listening from his corner, finally spoke up. "You're really going?"
"Obviously."
"You'll die."
"Perhaps. But probability favors survival if I approach correctly." Kael stood, testing his body. The ribs had finished healing, the stolen cultivation had stabilized somewhat through the contracts. He wasn't at full capacity, but functional. "I need to prepare. Chen Wei, describe Elder Greaves' personality. Everything you know from sect gossip."
The contract forced compliance. Chen Wei's voice took on the flat tone of compelled truthfulness. "Greaves is methodical. Calculating. Rose through sect ranks by being competent, not flashy. His cultivation is solid Foundation Establishment mid-stage—not the strongest elder, but reliable. He handles administrative duties, resource management, external relations. People say he's boring but effective."
"Good. Boring means predictable. Effective means he values results over pride." Kael's mind was already working through approach vectors. "What's his reputation regarding corruption?"
"Non-existent. Everyone thinks he's scrupulously honest. That's why the skimming would be so damaging if exposed—contradicts his entire public image."
"Better. He has more to lose than just resources." Kael paced, thinking. "His reputation is his true asset. The stolen goods are secondary. That's his vulnerability."
"You're going to threaten his reputation?"
"No. I'm going to offer to protect it." Kael stopped, turning to face Chen Wei directly. "Blackmail is short-term thinking. Partnership is sustainable. If I can convince Greaves that working with me serves his interests better than killing me, we both benefit."
"He's a Foundation Establishment cultivator. You're Sequence 9, barely able to walk after healing Yin Hua. What do you possibly have to offer him?"
Kael smiled slightly. "Information. Protection. And the one thing cultivators always underestimate—administrative efficiency."
---
The abandoned shrine sat at the edge of sect territory, where cultivated land gave way to wild forest. The structure had been built centuries ago, dedicated to some minor local deity that cultivation society had forgotten. Now it was just weathered stone and rotting wood, useful only as a neutral meeting point for activities the sect preferred to keep unofficial.
Kael arrived precisely at sunset, as the message specified.
The shrine was empty, but spiritual pressure hung in the air like a physical weight. Foundation Establishment level, confirming Elder Greaves' presence. Kael forced his body to remain relaxed, not to show the strain. His stolen cultivation provided some resistance, but the gap was enormous.
"You're punctual." The voice came from above. "That shows either professionalism or stupidity."
Kael looked up. Elder Greaves stood on the shrine's collapsed roof, illuminated by the dying sunlight. He appeared exactly as sect records described—middle-aged, unremarkable features, simple robes without excessive decoration. The only notable thing about him was how completely unremarkable he appeared.
Perfect camouflage for someone who wanted to be underestimated.
"Professionalism," Kael replied. "Stupidity would be sending the message without having leverage to back it up."
Greaves descended, not jumping or flying, just stepping down through the air as if stairs existed. Showing off. Demonstrating the power gap. "You're Kael Yuan. The one who supposedly died at execution three days ago."
"The execution was interrupted. Obviously."
"By pact-bearer manifestation. The entire sect knows about it now. Elder Shen is still unconscious, his cultivation crippled." Greaves' expression remained neutral, but Kael caught the slight tension around his eyes. "The Chain Order is investigating. Very inconvenient timing for someone trying to stay hidden."
"Which is why I need resources quickly. And why you need someone who can operate outside official channels." Kael kept his voice level, professional. "Our interests align."
"You think blackmailing me creates aligned interests?"
"I think offering partnership creates aligned interests. The blackmail was simply to ensure you'd listen." Kael gestured to the shrine's interior. "May we speak inside? Surveillance techniques work better in open spaces."
Greaves studied him for a long moment, then nodded. "Inside. But I'm maintaining a defensive formation. Any sudden movement, any hint of contract activation, and I kill you before you can blink."
"Understood."
They moved into the shrine's main chamber. The interior was surprisingly intact—stone walls absorbed ambient spiritual energy, creating a natural privacy barrier. Useful for secret meetings.
Greaves stood with his back to the wall, hands loose but ready. Kael remained near the entrance, maintaining unthreatening posture.
"Speak," Greaves commanded. "Convince me why I shouldn't kill you and eliminate this problem permanently."
"Three reasons," Kael said immediately. "First, I'm not your only problem. The skimming operation has left traces—spiritual energy signatures on the stolen items, gaps in the official inventory that a detailed audit would reveal, transportation routes that don't match documented patterns. Killing me doesn't eliminate the evidence."
Greaves' eyes narrowed. "You're bluffing. That information isn't accessible to a former outer sect mortal."
"I spent three years doing inventory reconciliation for the sect. I noticed the discrepancies then but had no reason to pursue them. After my awakening, I revisited those memories with new perspective." Kael pulled out a folded paper from his robe. "I can prove it. These are the dates and items I believe you took. Check them against your private records."
He tossed the paper forward. It landed at Greaves' feet. The elder picked it up, scanned it, and his expression hardened.
"Eighty percent accurate," Greaves said quietly. "How?"
"Pattern recognition and mathematics. Your skimming follows a consistent rhythm—one item per five legitimate confiscations, always choosing goods that are difficult to track, timing aligned with periods when auditing attention is elsewhere." Kael kept his tone analytical. "I simply calculated what you would take if you were acting optimally."
"That's reason one. What's reason two?"
"I can clean up those traces. My contracts can bind evidence, make it forget it ever existed. I can create documentation that fills the gaps, adjust spiritual signatures, create alibis that reality itself confirms as true." Kael met Greaves' eyes directly. "I can make it as if you never stole anything. Complete protection."
"In exchange for?"
"We get to reason three first. The third reason you shouldn't kill me is that I'm more valuable alive than dead. I have information networks throughout the outer district, contract-bound servants who can't betray me, and unique capabilities that complement your administrative position perfectly."
Greaves crossed his arms. "Explain."
"You're positioned for promotion to Core Formation. Everyone knows it. You have the resources, the cultivation base, the political connections. What you lack is the kind of intelligence and operational capabilities that don't appear in official sect records." Kael paused. "I can provide those. Information from criminal networks, operations that can't be traced to you, problems solved quietly without requiring your direct involvement."
"You're offering to be my criminal subordinate."
"I'm offering to be your external asset. I handle things that would be inappropriate for an elder to touch directly. You provide protection, resources, and legitimacy when needed. Mutually beneficial relationship."
Greaves was silent for a long time, clearly calculating. Kael could see the thoughts moving behind his eyes—weighing risk against benefit, threat against opportunity.
"And what do you want in return?" Greaves asked finally. "Specifically."
"Eight hundred silver, immediately. Access to sect archives for research purposes. Warning when the Chain Order or other hunters get too close to finding me. And occasional assistance with specific problems that require Foundation Establishment level power."
"Eight hundred silver is significant."
"It's approximately two-thirds of what you've stolen over the past two years. Considering I'm offering to eliminate all risk of exposure and provide ongoing value, it's actually quite reasonable."
Greaves laughed—a short, sharp sound. "You're audacious, I'll give you that. Walking into a meeting with a Foundation Establishment cultivator and negotiating like you have leverage."
"I do have leverage. Just different than physical power." Kael kept his expression neutral. "The question is whether you're pragmatic enough to recognize value when it's offered."
More silence. The shrine's walls seemed to press in, heavy with tension and possibility.
Finally, Greaves spoke. "Prove it. Prove you can actually eliminate evidence. Show me your contracts work as advertised."
Kael had anticipated this. "I need a target. Something specific you want forgotten or altered."
Greaves pulled out a jade slip—the kind used for record-keeping in sects. "This contains a secondary set of accounts. My personal tracking of what I've taken. If you can make this information disappear—not just destroy the jade slip, but remove it from reality's memory—then I'll believe you're useful."
Kael took the jade slip, feeling its weight. This was a test, obviously. Greaves probably had copies, ways to verify if Kael was faking. But it was also an opening.
He closed his eyes, focusing on the Pathway's power. The black marks on his hand pulsed, responding to his intent. He formed the contract in his mind—precise, specific, targeted.
"I bind this jade slip," Kael whispered. "And all information it contains. Terms: This knowledge forgets it ever existed. Payment: I offer spiritual energy and..."
He paused. The contract needed something significant for an effect this comprehensive. A memory. The Pathway demanded it.
Kael searched his fading recollections, finding one he could spare. A childhood moment—playing in the outer district with other children, a game whose rules he couldn't quite remember anymore anyway.
"...and the memory of my seventh birthday. Sealed."
The marks flared brilliant black. Chains manifested, wrapping around the jade slip, sinking into it like liquid shadow. The slip vibrated, its contents being rewritten by forces beyond normal physics. Kael could feel the contract taking effect—not just destroying data, but convincing reality that the data had never existed.
The process took ten seconds. When it finished, the jade slip was blank. Empty. As if it had never been written on.
Kael opened his eyes, swaying slightly from the expenditure. He handed the slip back to Greaves.
The elder examined it with multiple techniques—spiritual sense, qi probing, even breaking a small piece off to check the internal structure. His expression grew increasingly astonished.
"It's not erased," Greaves said slowly. "It's as if it was never written on. The jade itself has no memory of containing information." He looked at Kael with new wariness. "What did that cost you?"
"A memory. That's how my Pathway works—I pay in pieces of myself." Kael kept his voice steady despite the exhaustion. "But I can control what I pay. Choose memories I can afford to lose."
"And when you run out of memories you can afford to lose?"
"Then I'll face that problem when it arrives. For now, I have sufficient currency." Kael straightened, forcing his body to hide the weakness. "Does this prove my utility?"
Greaves stared at the blank jade slip for a long moment. Then he nodded slowly. "It does. This capability is... unprecedented. If you can truly make evidence disappear at that level, you're more valuable than I initially calculated."
"Then we have a deal?"
"Modified deal. I'll give you the eight hundred silver. I'll provide limited archive access—specific texts, not free browsing. I'll warn you about Chain Order movements that I learn about through official channels. But the 'occasional assistance' clause needs clarification. I'm not becoming your personal enforcer."
"Agreed. Assistance only when both our interests align. When problems threaten both of us, or when opportunities benefit both." Kael extended his hand. "And one addition—I want permission to operate in sect territory. Not openly, but I need the ability to move through without being immediately arrested."
"I can provide a token. Minor authority, enough to avoid casual detention. But if you're caught doing something obviously criminal, I can't protect you."
"Acceptable."
They shook hands. No contract formation—Greaves would have sensed it and reacted violently. This was a conventional agreement, backed only by mutual interest and calculated trust.
Greaves pulled out a storage pouch, heavy with coins. "Eight hundred silver. Count it if you want."
"I trust your counting." Kael took the pouch, feeling its weight. Real. Tangible. Sufficient for Mei Xing's operation and more. "The archive access?"
"I'll arrange it. Come to the eastern administrative building tomorrow at noon. Use the service entrance. Ask for Clerk Wen—he's one of mine. He'll give you what you need." Greaves produced a small jade token, carved with sect symbols. "This grants you temporary assistant status. Low-level, but legitimate. Don't abuse it."
Kael took the token, examining it briefly before tucking it away. "Understood. Is there anything else?"
"Yes. One more thing." Greaves' voice hardened. "If you betray this arrangement, if you expose me or move against my interests, I will hunt you down personally. I don't care about the Chain Order, the contracts, or whatever protection you think you have. I will end you. Clear?"
"Perfectly clear. And reciprocally—if you betray this arrangement, my contracts will ensure your secrets spread to every faction simultaneously. The damage to your reputation will be irreparable, and your path to Core Formation will end permanently." Kael kept his tone professional. "Mutual assured destruction. The most stable form of partnership."
Greaves studied him with something that might have been respect or might have been disgust. "You're an unnatural thing, Kael Yuan. I don't know what you're becoming, but it's not human."
"Perhaps. But I'm an unnatural thing that keeps my agreements and provides measurable value. That's more than can be said for most humans." Kael turned toward the exit. "I'll contact you through Clerk Wen when needed. Expect the first information delivery within five days—details on outer district gang movements that might affect sect interests."
"Wait."
Kael paused.
"The execution. What actually happened? The official story is vague, and Elder Shen isn't talking."
Kael considered how much to reveal. Decided on partial truth. "I awakened to a Pathway. The execution triggered it. Elder Shen's technique reversed, I absorbed his cultivation. The platform collapsed. I escaped in the chaos." He glanced back. "If you're asking whether I'm dangerous—yes. But not to people who aren't trying to kill me."
"And the Chain Order?"
"They're observing. I have approximately twenty-six days before they decide whether to eliminate me or not. That's why I need to establish stability quickly."
Greaves nodded slowly. "Then our interests definitely align. The last thing I need is a Chain Order investigation centering on someone I'm working with. Don't give them reasons to act."
"That's my intention."
Kael walked out of the shrine into the evening darkness. The meeting had gone better than probability suggested—Greaves was more pragmatic than expected, more willing to see value than threat. Good. One major piece of infrastructure secured.
The walk back to the outer district took an hour. Kael used the time to process the contract's cost. His seventh birthday was gone now—he knew intellectually that it had happened, but couldn't remember any details. The feeling of it, the reality of it, had been traded away.
He tried to mourn the loss. Found nothing. Just empty space where a memory used to be.
The Pathway whispered approval. "Efficient trade. Worthless nostalgia for tangible power."
"It wasn't worthless," Kael said quietly. "It was part of who I was."
"Was. Past tense. You're something else now. Something better."
Kael didn't respond. Arguing with the Pathway was pointless—it was part of him now, indistinguishable from his own thoughts in many ways.
By the time he reached the Iron Fist warehouse, night had fully fallen. The building was quieter than usual—most gang members were out on operations or in gambling dens. Only a few guards remained.
Chen Wei spotted him immediately. "You're alive."
"Obviously."
"Did you—did it work?"
"Yes. I have the silver." Kael pulled out the heavy pouch. "And more importantly, I have sect access and a high-level cultivator ally. Net positive outcome."
Chen Wei stared at the pouch. "You actually did it. You blackmailed a Foundation Establishment elder and survived."
"I established a mutually beneficial partnership. The blackmail was just the opening negotiation tactic." Kael moved to his corner, exhaustion finally catching up. "Where's Mei Xing?"
"Out surveying her target territory. She said she'd be back by midnight."
"Good. Tell her when she returns that I have the capital. We'll finalize the contract tomorrow." Kael sat heavily on his bedroll. "And bring me food. Something with protein. The contract work burned through more energy than expected."
Chen Wei hesitated. "The contract—the one with Greaves. You didn't actually bind him, did you?"
"No. He would have killed me instantly if I'd tried. That was a conventional agreement." Kael closed his eyes. "Sometimes traditional methods are more appropriate. The key is knowing when to use each approach."
"So you can still think like a normal person."
"I can still calculate optimal approaches. Whether that's 'thinking like a normal person' depends on your definitions." Kael's voice was fading as exhaustion pulled him toward sleep. "Six days left on your contract, Chen Wei. Then you're free. Are you planning to run when it expires?"
Silence. Then: "I don't know. Maybe. Maybe not."
"Fair enough. Let me know when you decide. If you stay voluntarily, I'll pay actual wages. If you run, I'll let you go without pursuit. No point forcing compliance when the contract ends—that would just breed resentment."
"You're really going to let me go?"
"Why wouldn't I? The contract was specific—seven days of service. After that, you have no obligation." Kael was barely conscious now. "I keep my agreements, Chen Wei. That's the entire point of the Pathway."
Chen Wei left to get food. Kael heard the footsteps receding but was already sliding into sleep.
In his dreams, he reached for memories that weren't there anymore. A birthday party, his mother singing, his sister laughing, a teacher's kindness. Each one slipping away like water through fingers.
The Pathway fed on them, growing stronger.
And Kael Yuan became increasingly hollow, a calculating machine wearing a human's face.
But he was alive.
And he had thirty-two contracts remaining.
The mathematics still worked.
That was all that mattered.
For now.