Luo Can swept his gaze over the crowd in the square. A rough count gave him three hundred and twenty-two people, most of them girls of fifteen or sixteen.
"Where are the rest of your clan?" he asked.
The woman at their head was Shui Xinyue, the Shui Clan's grand elder. She bowed slightly at his question. "Pavilion Master, our entire clan is migrating in three groups. I brought the first, consisting of our youngest children. The other two groups will arrive over the next two months."
Luo Can nodded and beckoned to Ye Qingyu behind him. "Chief Ye, I'll leave the arrangements to you. Lodgings, training grounds, resource allocations-follow the pavilion's rules for all of it."
"Of course, Pavilion Master." Ye Qingyu stepped forward and gathered the Shui Clan girls with a gentle smile, then instructed an attendant beside her to take them to their lodgings.
Luo Can and Qian Renxue did not linger at the mountain gate. They took Shui Xinyue straight to the council hall.
The three seated themselves according to host and guest. Tapping his fingertips against the table, Luo Can came straight to the point. "Grand Elder, I have something to ask you. I hope you'll answer honestly."
"Please ask, Pavilion Master. I will tell you everything I know."
"The Shui Clan has been managing the medicine shops in the Four Elemental Cities on our behalf." Luo Can looked up. "What do the academies in Gale City and Blazing Fire City think of your joining the Fate Defying Pavilion? Are they willing to pledge allegiance?"
Shui Xinyue fell silent for a moment before choosing her words carefully. "They have little inclination to pledge allegiance, but they are willing to cooperate closely with us. It seems... they don't want to surrender control."
Luo Can pondered her