I Like It Rough… Too.

  The common room they were relegated to was large, clean, and barren of warmth. The lights remained on as if they did not trust them even with darkness.

  Bao Yu sat against the wall, hollow-eyed.

  The guards had told them, partly as an update, but mainly to show who had power and who did not.

  “Your clan has left; they have remitted you into the ownership of the imperial attendant.” The guard had said it while standing in the doorway, leaning in when the words hit as if their pain fed him somehow.

  Even if they were cleared of wrongdoing, the city patted them on the back… they could not return to the clan.

  Even if the matrons physically made it back to the clan on their own, the reaction would absolutely be:

  “Why did you come back? We already cut you loose.”

  This wasn’t Bloodforge Clan cruelty... this was the world at large.

  Women without backing are assumed to be compromised

  Survivors of abandonment are assumed to be tainted by association

  Returning afterward creates a bureaucratic anomaly, not a reunion.

  The question is never “What happened to you?”

  It became.

  “Who do you belong to now?”

  From the clan’s internal logic:

  The matrons were supposed to disappear quietly.

  Their survival means they acted independently or sought outside protection.

  Or worse, they were claimed by another power.

  All three are unforgivable.

  The key to why each matron felt a deep, painful despair…wasn’t that they were abandoned.

  It was the fact that they could no longer return to a place they called home and be accepted.

  Qing sat on a bench, hand trembling as her eyes looked off into the distance, seeing her home fade. People she loved, like so many other families… simply stop talking about someone.

  Being left behind, cut away from the whole, meant even saying their name became a small treason you might regret.

  Na’s jaw was locked as she moved through cold, methodical analysis that went nowhere.

  Every avenue to fix the problem was travelled and discarded.

  It was at that moment she realized that before the end of the month, the elders would have another woman in her husband's bed, someone younger and na?ve to the world. Knowing him, he might forget her name by the second night with her.

  Tears of anger moved down her face as she thought of her daughter and her son quietly being downgraded in the sect because she had been discarded due to inconvenience.

  Lin Su sat with calm acceptance; she was already wondering whether they would even be released to Jianrong.

  The woman blinked, then moved to the door as a commotion erupted.

  People were arguing, demanding more time to prepare… that the paper was not in order.

  The door lock was damaged, and they would have a repair person here soon to sit down and wait.

  Then, in horror, the women heard a high-pitched keening sound.

  The next breath, a blade, Jianrong's blade slid through the thick wood door like it was made of intent and not physical matter… simply parted under the edge of the screaming blade.

  She cut around the lock and pushed the door open.

  Jianrong, her black chest armor on, knife holstered, looked around the room and smiled, then turned to the man as the smile faded.

  “I will wait with my sisters in the garden while you get the paperwork finalized.” She stated coldly.

  Jianrong turned back and beckoned. “It seems we are on our own. Please come with me.” She looked around, swallowed, and decided to be honest.

  “I came along to find a family member to deal with… But now I am content with what I found.” She said with arms outward.

  Bao Yu moved and hugged her. He Yun followed then Qing and Na and finally Lin Su.

  Lin Su kissed her head. “Rong’er… they won't let us leave.”

  Jianrong winked.

  “Let's check out their open-air gardens while they surround the building.” She giggled.

  The six women moved through the building under the watchful eyes of many while laughing and chatting.

  Man or woman, it did not matter.

  They were the system.

  Jianrong and the Matrons were meant to follow the system, even if that meant to disappear… forever.

  When they sat on the grass and spoke softly, Rong placed a black gem in her mouth and smiled.

  She had plenty of Qi, but better safe than sorry.

  “Child, if we can leave, why not do so?” Bao Yu took Rong's hand, who lifted it to kiss it.

  “Aunty, it’s always best to know who the players are. They know US… but we don’t know them. So… patience.” She grinned.

  “Everyone just grab hold of one another when I say it's time to go. I will do all the work,” Rong explained.

  Lin Su surprised everyone by stretching out and resting her head on Rong's leg.

  “Rong’er, why did you really come along with us?” She asked, smiling, already accepting her new place.

  Rong looked down at her and smiled softly. “I wanted an easy way in so I could kill my grandfather.” She admitted.

  The women froze, except Lin Su, who nodded. “He touched people you love, exiled your mother, got your grandmother killed.” She said, realizing how simple it was.

  “Yup, luckily, I have put another plan in action, but I am still hopeful our paths meet. Even if it's in the next life.” Rong said, leaning into Lin Su’s hand that cupped her face.

  “How will we support ourselves?” Na asked, worried about the logistics.

  Rong laughed. “Don’t worry, your family.”

  Na looked at her eyes red with emotion. “Even after all that happened, you would call us family?”

  Jianrong looked at Na, then around to each woman.

  Her hand moved to a side pocket in her armor. A slender piece of bone slides out.

  Its end was sharpened, and the entire length of it shimmered.

  “What is that?!” He Yun asked, startled.

  Rong handed it to her. “Calamity bone, this is from a tooth. We killed it, then fled where the Clan sent us to die.” She said easily.

  The blade was passed around; its weight was nearly that of steel.

  Rong pressed her hand to the ground, and a hole opened, sinking into the darkness; they felt as if it led to someplace alien and dangerous.

  She took the blade back and looked around. “If you swear allegiance to Ironwood, to your family, to your sister, then no matter what anyone says, we will only ever see you as family.”

  Rong closed her eyes and offered her palms upward, almost in prayer.

  “We do not discard people for opportunity or gain. Anyone who chooses to betray us will remain behind forever. We live and die protecting one another. I have lost brothers, sisters, fathers, and mothers who died to protect us. To dishonor their sacrifice. That is death.”

  Her eyes opened, and two tears rolled down her face.

  “Ironwood is about loyalty that rewards with life and love. We share our spoils and pain. If you bleed under the sky and into the earth, then you are my family, and I will never abandon you.”

  Rong swore, then cut her hand and let blood flow into the hole.

  Lin Su looked at her sister and took the blade and cut her hand, bleeding into the hole that seemed to pull every drop of blood in.

  “I swear here and now, I am of Ironwood. I will not betray the clan that was cast out solely for convenience and face.”

  Bao Yu wiped her face, then took the blade and cut her hand. “My place is with my family, Jianrong is my family.”

  Na took the knife while clutching her chest. She had two children; their position was now terrible. They would lose opportunities, and her daughter would likely be like so many others. Fall into their patriarch's hands.

  “Would you help my children?” Na asked, her throat constricted, killing her words.

  Rong looked at her. “Your family is my family.”

  Na cut her hand deep and bled into the hole that turned gold.

  Rong looked at that and realized Ling was watching.

  Qing smiled and simply cut her hand, and her blood flowed.

  He Yun looked at Jianrong; the implications of cutting her hand first meant there was no leverage, no expectation, only acceptance. “Accept my blood and my gratitude.” She said softly.

  All the women stared at the hole that had a light at the bottom.

  With reverence, Jianrong placed her palm down, and the hole closed.

  There was a prolonged silence.

  Eventually, Jianrong spoke.

  “I plan on killing everyone, except the team lead for abandoning you. Don’t try to dissuade me, I will leverage their value for access to Na’s children if necessary.” Rong admitted.

  Na’s eyes were bloodshot, but she said nothing.

  Lin Su spoke softly. “Leverage to whom?”

  Rong turned to her. “Something I cannot speak of, only know they are dear to me and watch over Ironwood.”

  The matrons stared.

  Na finally spoke. “I would give my gratitude if you would show me how.”

  Jianrong stilled, then nodded.

  Lin Su put her head back on Jianrong’s leg and smiled. “Rong’er, I feel better.” The woman said, realizing how much weight she had been carrying for a very long time.

  Rong looked down and smiled. “Sister, wait till I heal you all and help you become Core Formation.”

  All the of the woman drew in a sharp breath.

  She chuckled. “Why do you think we were in the capital? Our good looks?” she laughed, then looked up at the group of people who stood looking down from the roof across the courtyard.

  Three people jumped, then slowly glided to the ground and approached.

  “Jianrong Dar Bloodforge, Exile of the Bloodforge Clan, Imperial Attendant under Mandate to Empress Cyreth Sulara. You have made it very far for someone with no clan and no sect.” The woman said. There was a beautiful, coiled dragon sewn with gold thread on her lavender robes.

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Rong didn’t react beyond kissing Lin Su’s hand, who had seemed to look at Jianrong differently now.

  “It seems my history is of some interest to the local powers that be. Tell me what we can do for you this evening? Though I hope it is not too taxing, we are not planning to stay to take in the sights of your wonderful home, as circumstances are changing and my family and I seek to return to our nation as soon as possible.

  “My name is Lui Tian Fei. I am an Enforcement Elder from the Dragon Mountain Sect.”

  Jianrong remained seated, her fingers curled into Lin Su’s, who turned to watch the woman.

  Rong bowed her head. “We are honored to be in your presence.” She said easily and smiled.

  Fei watched the older woman curl affectionately around the younger woman, who rested her hand on the older woman's thigh unashamedly. Rong's peach-and-apricot attire was marred by her black vest, thick, bulky, and ugly.

  Her beauty was captivating, her skin radiant...almost shimmering magically. Her dark black eyes open wide in innocence and delight.

  She smiled too easily and meant it.

  “Several people died today by your hand, yet here you sit enjoying the company of family while others plan for funerals and worry what the future may bring.” Fei pointed out as her heart rate increased and her eyes narrowed.

  Jianrong nodded. “Fortunately, with the Sect looking out for them, the path will be smooth and their place assured.” She replied gently.

  “Do you not regret the lives you took?” Fei asked, her voice rising in intensity.

  “People made choices, at the end of the day, all anyone can do is work with what is given to them. Your fellow sect member chose to break the law. Am I supposed to mourn for someone who cannot follow simple rules written in books that all of us are expected to follow? Do you feel bad not ensuring he understood what consequences were?” Rong asked, smiling.

  Jianrong rose slowly, and Lin Su rose as well, whispering in her ear.

  Rong stilled, then lowered her head, letting their heads touch as she murmured something back, making Lin Su nod, then do something she had not done in a very long time.

  Blush.

  Fei felt anger flare in her chest as the two women flirted in front of her; she felt dirty and a building desire to hurt Rong.

  Rong moved down the slight incline and stood before the three people, relaxed and curious. Her eyes moved over them while a soft smile played on her lips, and their meridians began to hum with resonance the closer she came to them.

  “The loss of life is never easy, but sometimes it's for the greater good. Did Lui Tian Fei, Enforcement Elder from the Dragon Mountain Sect, have questions for us?”

  Fei looked down her nose at the shorter woman.

  She was nearing peak formation, having strove for over one hundred years to reach her place in the Sect.

  “How old are you, Lady Jianrong?” she asked unexpectedly.

  Rong's brow rose. “I will be nineteen soon,” Rong admitted to a small lie, pretending to be a younger sibling.

  Fei turned her head, and the two men bowed and stepped back.

  Fei moved closer to Rong and noticed the effect was even greater.

  “At nineteen, one does not arrive here by accident. Tell me, Lady Jianrong — who recognized your talent first?” Fei asked.

  To her surprise, Rong looked surprised, then thoughtful.

  “Well… I would say no one. Unless you equate benefits to ‘talent,’ she said with a small depreciative laugh.

  “So, you stand alone?” Fei asked, smiling while leaning closer to smell the woman, finding that her Meridians nearly trembled.

  “Well, most of the time I am a solo operator,” Rong said, unaware she was fueling the Enforcers' slow constricting trap.

  “Then under whose authority have you been cultivating, Lady Jianrong?” Fei asked as he circled the woman, as if she were a cat circling prey.

  Jianrong shrugged. “Heaven saw fit to allow me to draw Qi, when I became Core Formation, Heaven tested me with three strikes of lightning, along with the other times... I was tested, I assume Heaven's authority?

  Rong felt the woman pause behind her.

  Fei smiled and leaned into her ear. “What Sect teachings do you follow?” she asked softly.

  Rong tilted her head. “Where I am from, there are no Sects. Besides, I serve the state and the people. Is there a problem with that Enforcer Fei?” Rong asked, turning to the woman who was leaning over her with a face that could only be described as elated.

  “Then, for your own protection, and for doctrinal review, you will remain under Dragon Mountain Sect supervision until Heaven’s intent is clarified,” Fei said, taking hold of her wrist.

  Rong looked down, then up at the woman. “Does your sect plan on petitioning heaven in my name for clarity?” she asked, amused and unafraid.

  The two men moved closer.

  Fei looked down and gave a small smile. “Well, who can say what will happen in the future, but legally we must detain you under Sect guidelines. Both to protect you and the community at large.”

  Rong smiled. “Well, at least you're honest. Do tell, why bother with someone like me, who would, at best, likely hate your guts with the intensity of a fire? Bringing such a person into the fold seems… unwise.” She said in an even and amicable tone.

  “Wisdom and affection are not prerequisites for supervision, Lady Jianrong.

  Only necessity.” Fei murmured as her other hand touched her face gently, almost caressing it.

  “You are not being invited,” Fei said.

  Jianrong took in a long breath and let it out evenly. “I keep forgetting Sect work on scarcity mindset.” Her eyes moved to the matrons, then back to Fei. “In this situation, what happens to the women under my care?” she asked, curious as her brows rose.

  “They will be processed separately. Their status will be reviewed based on their individual conduct and affiliations. Until then, they will remain under city custody.” Fei explained.

  Jianrong nodded as if accepting it.

  Fei pursed her lips and looked over the woman’s hair and a strange vest.

  “A season from now, you will have forgotten them. You will have a new life and new responsibilities.” Fei promised.

  Rong smiled, one that lacked warmth.

  “The one thing that always confuses me about this place is the lack of loyalty. Where I am from, even if you weren’t directly tied to them, the meaning was universal.”

  Jianrong’s eyes hardened. “SEMPER FIDELIS.” She stated it almost like an oath.

  Fei’s smile fell away as her Aura flared and her grip intensified sharply.

  “By Sect law, you are to be remanded to our custody until further notice.” The two men moved forward, one with a talisman, the other with manacles.

  Fei’s mind was waiting to see how she struggled when Rong simply leaned forward, and her other hand moved unerringly to the Enforcer's groin and clamped down.

  The pain was excruciating.

  Then it blossomed into something worse as she was hoisted into the air by one hand and guided into her companions by the other.

  Bao Yu and the others had stood up when Fei had moved to prowl around Rong.

  When he had grabbed the young woman's wrist, they had cried out, alarmed.

  When Rong threw the woman into her companions as if she were a bag of grain, they froze in terror.

  The two men caught the woman and stumbled back a few steps.

  “It seems you think it's ok to put your hands on someone.” Rong pointed out, not drawing her weapon, only to turn to face them to see if death was the only option left.

  Fei was in pain; her cultivation shuddered as her body dealt with the unpleasant ache. She had lost face in front of Rong, the matrons, and her men.

  The two men were silent, but they both felt a strange tension as their leader had been sent at them with a terrible force.

  “Enough. No one advances without my order.” Fei ordered. Then she pulled out her token, activated it, and spoke into it.

  “The subject has demonstrated noncompliant strength and active resistance during lawful remand. This interaction is now under enforcement escalation.”

  “By Sect mandate, physical capability does not exempt one from custody.”

  Fei glared at Rong. “Compliance is not optional.”

  Rong tilted her head, taking a slow breath. “We only want to leave; we have no desire to remain as your guest or sect member. Is that a crime?” Rong asked.

  “Leaving is not the issue.”

  Fei was finally steady and took a step forward. “Unregistered cultivation, refusal of sect alignment, and violent resistance during lawful inquiry constitute a public risk.”

  “I see,” Rong said softly. “I do not wish to fight you. I don’t wish to fight anyone. But you're forcing me to do this to remain with my family and keep my bodily autonomy.” She said clearly.

  “You do not get to decide when scrutiny ends!” Fei shouted her face flushing with anger.

  Rong closed her eyes in thought. “Then I guess this means only one option remains.”

  “Contain her. Now.” Fei ordered. “Suppress cultivation.”

  Both men pulled out Suppression talismans and charged them.

  A moment later, they snapped their wrists, making them race through the air at Rong.

  A pitch-black orb snapped outward from Rong in the blink of an eye, enveloping the talismans.

  ENDLESS NIGHT

  The next moment, it was gone, and the Talismans sat inert on the ground.

  The men stood dazed.

  Fei’s mouth opened, then slowly closed. “Hold.” She breathed.

  Not retreat —a pause.

  “This matter exceeds field enforcement.” She thought.

  “Just let us collect our papers, and we will get out of your city,” Rong stated, not wanting to have to explain killing more law enforcement, even if it was a sect.

  “This matter will be reviewed,” Fei said, looking at the small group of women.

  “You will remain where you are while documentation is verified.”

  Jianrong gave a salute and returned to her people, who crowded around her.

  Fei turned to her own people. Secure the area. I will talk to the Deputy. He promised resolution, but so far, he has failed twice. “ Fei said heatedly.

  It was long past government office hours, but the room where Fei stood was still buzzing with people.

  Several people were discussing what to do with Jianrong’s papers when Fei sensed a familiar Spirit Sense.

  Grand Elder Liu Xiang entered the office, and the voices quieted.

  Fei bowed low. “Master greetings, this one has come across someone you might find valuable.”

  “How many people saw it?” he demanded.

  Fei faltered for a moment. “The subject’s property — five older women from the Bloodforge sect. Discarded.”

  “Suspend all external communication until I review the reports.” He ordered.

  Even officials who did not answer to a sect bowed.

  To any outside observer, it became clear who ran the border city… That was not the government.

  “This incident does not leave this building.” Liu Xiang ordered.

  Fei followed him into an office and closed the door behind her.

  “Now tell me exactly what failed.” He said quietly.

  Fei started from the beginning, from the intimate touch of her property to the questions and her willingness not to give up her people or her autonomy.

  Liu Xiang blinked several times. “So, you did not offer to recruit her?” he said as if she had missed the first step of a standard process.

  Fei felt a pang of dissatisfaction.

  She understood her master, like all grand elders, looked at benefits first and the rule of law second.

  Her master looked at her. “Fei fei…you must remember that rules are guidelines for the masses. As you ascend in the Sect, you will realize that being inflexible will hurt you, not help you. Only the hardliners believe that adherence to doctrine, ceremony, and tradition is paramount.” He explained

  Fei nodded; to a degree, this was her own belief.

  “Name someone like that in our history who has stepped into Nascent Soul, Soul Formation, or above,” he said quietly.

  Fei opened her mouth, then closed it, unable to name one. The number of Nascent Souls the Sect had produced could be counted on two hands, the number of Soul Formation on one hand.

  Liu Xiang reached out and rested his hand on his disciple's shoulder.

  “You have done well, they are together. There is still room to talk, yet they are now closed off to the wider world. From here, I will take over, but you will be at my side, learning. I have three disciples, and you are the most skilled. I would see you keep growing.” He said gently.

  Fei gave a sharp nod, then spoke. “Jianrong was never disrespectful, but her way of thinking is...” Fei tried to put it in a box that was easy to consume.

  “Not heretical but dangerous,” Fei said quietly.

  “When you asked her questions, was she defensive?” Xiang asked.

  Fei shook her head. “I had the feeling that if I asked to see her weapon, she would readily hand it over.” She admitted.

  Xiang’s face froze, then he smiled. “Let us go ask then.”

  Xiang and Fei appeared in the courtyard.

  Most of the women here were arrayed to meditate, but only Lin Su was with Rong directly, the two of them chatting softly. Their hands were holding one another.

  Then, as they watched, Lin Su kissed Rong tentatively, and Jianrong smiled and reciprocated. Not lust, not romance, but something neither understood.

  Lin Su had admitted to Rong that, even after their marriage and his death, she felt a pull toward others like herself. She preferred the company of other women.

  She had felt open and spoke about something that plagued her for thirty years.

  When the words had left her mouth, she felt dread.

  The Rong had nodded.

  “We have a lot of that in Ironwood, probably because of the population demographics. But like the woman I love, they have been in a long-term relationship for… well, since I was like five, so nearly fifteen years. Wow, I should look at anniversary gifts.” Rong joked, realizing Mira and Rosha had reached another milestone.

  “What is your… position in their life now?” Lin Su asked, surprised and riveted.

  Rong cleared her throat. “Before the change.. We would be lovers. I was safe, and sex is a natural thing… but when I wanted more, well, they are committed to one another. One was never alone with me; it was they as a couple.” She admitted.

  “But,” Lin Su tried to wrap her mind around it. “No one has an issue with it in the village?”

  Rong snorted. “That….is not an uncommon situation.” She admitted.

  Lin Su had asked if she could try to kiss her. Rong had agreed. Now she did so without the dread she had carried for years.

  “What about... men.” Lin Su asked.

  Rong smirked, “I WAS then the only person with a boyfriend …well, a couple with a male, but now... well, now technically I'm like you, so I don’t think it counts the same.”

  “What did your mother say?” Lin Su asked with a squeak.

  Rong laughed, “When you meet her, you will understand. You need to remember: she grew up under a patriarch, so everything he did leaves her feeling deep shame. So… Ironwood is nothing like that.”

  A gentle Spirit Sense touched Rong.

  Her eyes moved, then she touched back in acknowledgement.

  “We have company, rest I will be back.”

  Lin Su paled, realizing they had been seen, then saw that Jianrong was completely oblivious.

  “Don’t you have shame?” She partly teased.

  Rong stilled, then looked at her. “My threshold is… pretty high, but yes, I do have shame, but for kissing an attractive older woman… no one can make me feel guilt over that.” Her laugh was hearty and sincere as she waved goodbye.

  Jianrong approached the couple with her hands slightly raised to show she meant no harm.

  The man who was with Fei was much taller than both of them; he looked over sixty.

  As Rong drew near, she felt something she had never come across, a steady, insistent thrum of something alive. It was not a Dantian cycling; it was something else.

  Rong felt the air and felt the pressure he exuded.

  “Greetings,” Jianrong said with a smile.

  Xiang smiled back. “Greetings, I am Liu Xiang, a Grand Elder of the Dragon Mountain Sect, and of course, you have met my disciple Lui Tian Fei.”

  Jianrong bowed low to the man, surprising him by saluting Fei.

  “Grand Elder, you honor me. As for your disciple, I have indeed been fortunate to make her acquaintance.

  Xiang’s eyes sparkled. “I understand there was some confusion between the two of you.”

  Jianrong’s lips pressed together as her eyes slightly widened, and she shook her head. “No, I don’t think so, the Enforcement Elder was just following protocol,” Rong said, …making Fei’s mouth fall open as Jianrong lied smoothly to her master, erasing the clash entirely.

  Xiang tilted his head. “Ah, I am glad then.” He looked over her ugly vest, his spirit sense cutting into it.

  “I understand you use a knife as a weapon?” His brow rose as he glanced at Fei.

  Jianrong's hand moved in a blur, and she unsheathed the blade, startling Fei but drawing curiosity from Xiang. He watched it dance in her hands, then, to both their disbelief, she flipped it and offered it to him handle first.

  Xiang nodded and took the knife. Then he frowned. While it was heavy and sharp in a mortal sense, it did not use special metals, arrays, or enchantments.

  As his senses poured into it, looking for something hidden, he spoke. “In Sect culture, it is seen as … unwise to relinquish one's weapon to another, even a friend.” He stated.

  “Oh. Wow,” Rong replied, genuinely shocked. They couldn’t even trust their own friends.

  Xiang stilled and looked up at her. “This surprises you?” he asked intrigued.

  Jianrong nodded. “If I were surrounded by people I could not trust, I would leave.” She said honestly.

  Xiang handed the knife to Fei, who also inspected it while he talked to Rong.

  “I am told you are from a village, so you may not know this but that is common throughout the world at large. Danger is always close. Whether that means fellow cultivators or Ferals and or Nature.” He said.

  Rong nodded. “I guess that makes sense. In Seldara, the capital, everyone seems to stab one another. That’s why we live days away. Avoid the back-biting crab mentality.” Rong admitted.

  Xiang smiled. “To grow strong, one must be where resources and challenge exist.” He explained.

  Rong smiled. “You're not growing shielded flowers in your garden, you are training generations to be fighters.” Rong thought aloud.

  Xiang grew excited. “Yes, exactly!”

  Jianrong turned to a bench and then motioned. “Grand Elder, why not take a seat? The day was likely long, and I have a feeling you have many questions.”

  Xiang nodded, then sat down.

  “Come, sit with me,” he offered.

  Jianrong blushed. “I am afraid I am a bit too ripe to sit close, my body is like a ripe fruit in the sun, unfortunately. It's not a bad smell, I am told, but it can provide discomfort while in proximity.” Rong turned to Fei. “Right, big sister Fei?”

  “I am losing my footing, and she isn’t even trying.” Fei thought.

  “In close proximity, there is a resonance with the meridians,” Fei admitted then handed back the knife.

  Rong smiled. “Sorry, think of it as a coming into puberty thing, I am working on it.” She admitted.

  “I understand. Is this a bloodline symptom or something unique?” Xiang asked as he drew in a breath and felt the tingle of resonance.

  “My family does not have a long history, as my mother was the Bloodforge Patriarchs' only child with her mother. We have no contact with my grandmother's side of the family, but I would not rule it out. It is just not known to us.” Rong admitted.

  “Would you mind if I felt your wrist?” Xiang asked.

  Jianrong moved closer. “As long as you answer a question I have.” She said with her smile making dimples in her cheeks.

  Xiang froze for a second, imagining her as a child on a farm playing with siblings.

  “What question, child?” He asked.

  “By chance, are you what they describe as a Golden Core?” She said it with a hint of curiosity and awe.

  Xiang did not answer immediately.

  Then he smiled faintly.

  “That is the name used for it, yes.”

  He let the words settle before continuing.

  “Though most who speak of a Golden Core have never encountered one that has stabilized long enough to feel… as you did.”

  His gaze sharpened, studying her carefully.

  “You are perceptive, Jianrong. More so than most cultivators I have met at twice your age.”

  Jianrong laughed and looked at Fei as if letting her in on the joke while placing her wrist at his disposal.

  “Big sister knows why. My Core is very quiet, so it's easy to listen to others.

  Like heartbeats, everyone’s different.

  I have met Cores and Nascent Soul but never someone like you.

  I feel honored. Thank you.” She said earnestly in her praise.