Outskirts of Capital City · Taoist temple
Only a bowshot from the road, a vegetable garden had been laid out, adjoining the village. A river wound past dense groves of bamboo, making this a little haven of bridges, flowing water, and homes, but the temple received few incense offerings.
Apart from the people of the nearby village, only the occasional passerby came to burn incense.
At that moment, Master Xie sat lost in thought, facing a window beyond which lay the night sky.
"Master, please have some tea."
A Taoist attendant, his hair tied in an attendant's topknot and looking twelve or thirteen, brewed some tea and came in to serve Master Xie at his desk. His movements flowed like water, clearly well practiced.
The tea bowl had barely touched the table when a brilliant light suddenly burst forth, followed by a shaft of red light that pierced the roof and descended straight down.
"Ow!" Caught off guard, the attendant was nearly blinded by the flash. Amid his startled cries, tea spilled all over the floor, while a gust rattled the window paper and shook the entire temple.
"Master, please forgive me," the attendant cried hurriedly.
"It's all right. The heavens changed without warning. You can't be blamed." Master Xie smiled faintly and rolled up his wide sleeve. In the candlelight, a bloody mark on his arm could be seen slowly fading from dark to pale.
This sudden disappearance had happened before, and Master Xie naturally knew why.
"Zhou Xuan has been eliminated."
Power surged within him. His appearance had already been that of a middle-aged man, and though it had not yet changed, a subtle shift in his bearing had begun.
He could feel the changes in his body without consulting a bronze mirror. Master Xie glanced at the