Let this be a lesson, not only to you, but to those treacherous enough to serve you. The governments are not our allies and never will be, no matter how wayward they stray toward us. Our ancestors have paid in blood to ensure our survival. The Ajisai will not allow you to bring the Clans to their knees once again. Watch your back—or rather, your high seat, Master Yei. It will not last long.
Till our paths cross again.
— Master Jong
***
Yei crumbled the paper infront of his eyes before hurling it to the wall. How dare they? How dare they find out the truth? They knew. They somehow knew what he was planning, but how?
Who was telling the Ajisai the business of the Renge?
The plan had brewed in his head for months after Young Master Jun returned from the Old Town with news of expansion. The shadows in the street claimed a deal had been struck between the Yue Clan and the Ajisai. Apparently they agreed to share territory, and with Yue being an ally of the Renge, Yei took it as a sign of oncoming danger.
The Ajisai was striking deals with Renge allies. Deals that brought them a lot closer to the Renge than it was comfortable. Yei didn't like it one bit. He knew what expansion meant. His years would slowly be reduced to months, and his months to days. Until his days would become numbered.
Yei only laughed to himself at the thought of it. Jong was a pitiful man who was still vengeful over the past. When Yei had won the battle for who would lead the Clans, Jong was devastated. He believed he had vision. That numskull was blinder than a damned bat.
Jong was nothing but a dull knife in the drawer, and Yei would never allow himself to be thrown over by mediocrity. No matter what it took.
"If they want to play like pigs in a pen, I can be a lot filthier."
They didn't know him at all. Deep down, he knew he'd do anything to stay on top. His visions were astronomical. They were too large for the small system they were limited to.
So Yei did what felt right. He seeked to expand as well. Well, his deal was never quite finalized. Someone had decided to kill his messengers.
And now...tensions were rising. Faster than a flooding river.
"Can you imagine being that sure of yourself?" Yei laughed humorlessly. His most trusted Senior Young Masters, only those who had lived under his instruction for years sat infront around his sleek, blackwood desk.
Yei stared down at his hands, darkened in thought. "All I need to know is how did they know? Who told them? Could it be the people I trust the most? These Masters right at this table? Should I kill every one of you before you confess to revealing us to the Ajisai?"
"Old Master, under any oath we will confess that it is not our fault the Ajisai found out about the collusion between the Circle and us," Young Master Teng said. "It had to have been someone else."
"Someone like who?" Yei gritted through his teeth. "A student? A child?"
In that moment, Miao entered the study. She looked swanlike as always, her black robe flowing behind her. Her hair was in a neat updo with pins holding it together. A kind smile painted her face as she presented cups of tea on a tray.
"This meeting looks quite stressful, I hope this helps," she said sweetly. Yei narrowed his eyes at her. Clan Lady or not, she should learn to knock.
"Thank you, Mistress Miao," the Young Masters collectively bowed to her, but Yei did not. He watched her with cautious eyes as she batted her lashes and disappeared out of the room.
"As I was saying," Yei let out a sigh. "It couldn't have been a child. And despite my suspicion, I doubt it was one of you."
"Then who?" Young Master Jun questioned, crossing her arms.
"What lovely tea, Mistress Miao has blessed us with," Young Master Sol muttered distractedly, earning glares from his fellow Masters. He gulped them down and straightened. "I do not think it is productive to keep dwelling on who did it. But more of what we do now, two of our Renge have died. Innocent girls. And in a horrific manner. We should be more focused on-"
"Revenge," Yei asserted. "We must even out this score. We cannot let them think the Renge to be weak. We own the largest territory, the most temples. We shouldn't be crumbling even a little in the face of these goat-brained fools! They took two daughters from us, and for that they must pay!"
"And I know just how."
Without elaborating, Yei opened the drawer on the side of his desk. He pulled from it an aged book the size of a brick. He opened it to a page of a sketch of a beautiful lotus flower, at the bottom of which read, 'Blooming Season'.
"Blooming Season. The period in which young Renge come of age. They leave for the outside world, where they seek their first kill. Normally of which is an enemy spy. Once the Renge returns, having completed their mission according to all the guidelines, they are put into the Golden League of Mature Renge. Thus, they have fully bloomed."
The Young Masters all turned to each other. Finally they were following.
"We are going to instigate...Blooming Season? It hasn't even been a full year cycle yet," Young Master Jun said. Her voice sounded the tiniest bit hesitant, which Yei did not like at all.
"Are we not in dire need of it, Young Master Jun?" Yei questioned her with a tilt of his head. She swallowed hard under his piercing gaze.
"Last time I checked, many of my Renge are of age. Sixteen, isn't it? Even my own daughter. We live in a time where Ajisai spies lurk in our cities and areas, what better time than now? This will not only strengthen them, but it will even out our score and assert our dominance."
The Young Masters went silent. Everyone had seen Cora and Edrice's burnt, violated bodies. Everyone knew the Ajisai had less mercy than no mercy. To subject their young Renge to such cruelty this early...it was a dangerous call to make.
But Old Master had willed it, so it would be. They knew there was no changing his mind. Especially when he had glints of hunger in his eyes.
Miao entered the room again, this time going to the back of the room to fiddle with a bookshelf. Yei had barely noticed her. He rolled open a scroll and dipped his pen in the pear-shaped bottle of ink.
"I know exactly which of my children require such a test. Tomorrow, I expect them to be made aware of what is to come. Let them prepare. It will be a tough road ahead. This is a direct defense of our Clan's integrity. Young Master Sol, since you are in charge of the junior Renge, I will hand the list to you tomorrow morning."
Young Master Sol cleared his throat. "Old Master...may I ask a question?" He asked. A silent nod welcomed him.
"What of those who do not make it back?"
Yei gave a deadpan stare. What an obscene question to even ask. "Then the Renge Clan will be freed of its weak links. If they cannot defend their Clan, it is best that they do not make it back."
Miao cleared her throat loudly. "Old Master, may I speak with you in private, please?"
Yei nodded toward the Young Masters. "This meeting is over. We will speak of this soon again. Goodbye."
The Young Masters bowed in respect before leaving in silence. Once the door shut, Miao's eyes lit with concern. She rushed to sit down infront of his desk. Yei narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
"Did I just hear you say you're going to send kids away to fight Ajisai spies in the city?" She asked, shining with worry. She leaned in desperately, as if wanting to hear him deny it.
Yei cocked his head to the side. "So you were eavesdropping on my meeting?" He questioned.
Miao fumbled. "W-What n-no-"
Yei slammed his palm to the table, making her flinch in her seat. "Do not lie to me, woman! You were out of this room when I spoke of it!" He rose his voice.
"Alright! I was!" She cried out. "But only because you've been leaving me out of the loop! I'm this Clan's Lady. I deserve to know what happens in my own Clan!"
"You're treading on thin ice, my beautiful flower," Yei said lowly, glaring at her. "A Clan Lady is nothing but an accessory. Do you truly think that you have any power here?"
Miao stared at him blankly, unable to express the pang of pain she felt in her chest. She didn't even have words. Just an accessory. Maybe that's why he treated her like less than a person.
"Please just tell me if it's true," she whispered sombrely.
Yei stuck his chin up proudly. "Of course it is. Why would I not want to strengthen my young Renge by teaching them to fight for their Clan? They need to seek justice for their fallen sisters."
Miao shook her head. "This isn't about them...is it? This is about you. You don't care that Cora and Edrice are dead."
Yei scoffed. How dare this wretch accuse him? "How dare you..."
"You're sending these kids to their early graves, Guiren. They're not ready to face enemy spies. They're sixteen! Cora and Edrice were older and stronger and look at what happened to them! Sending them out there is cruel...you cannot do it. If you truly cared you wouldn't send them out."
His hand twitched in desire. He had to clamp it tightly to stop it from slapping her in the face.
"What have I been training them for then, woman!?" He screamed. "To work in my damned garden? To meditate in the forest? I have trained them to kill and they will! I do not need your opinions on how to run my Clan, last I checked you were supposed to sit silently and look pretty by my side! And what have I told you about using my first name? Do not think you can disrespect me in my own office!"
Miao ignored the hurtful words. She has heard them all too much before. She knew she was crossing all the lines, and she would pay dearly for it, but there was no way she could just sit by and let it happen. Her eyes zoned in on the first name that was written on the list. Mudan. She rose from her seat in shock.
"No..." She shook her head in disbelief. She looked at Yei as if he was a monster. "You can't. You can't send our only daughter into a world of killers! I won't let you!"
Yei rose from his seat as well, smiling at the challenge. "You won't let me? And what will you do to stop me?"
"Have you ever thought what would happen when she finally kills for the first time? She won't be the same! You can't do that to her! You can't do it to any of these kids! Please, if you have a heart-"
Yei let out a humorless laugh. "A heart? And why would I have something as weak as that? My children are born of the Lotus. Their purpose is to be weapons. Why are you acting so surprised that they have to kill? You knew what you were signing up for when we met all those years ago as rebels. Don't act holy now, my beautiful flower."
"And what if they don't make it back? Huh?" Miao shouted in anger. Yei rose an impressed eyebrow. She was filled with bravery tonight. "Are you just going to sit here in this damned office, scheming until more kids die for your empty causes? What if Mudan doesn't make it back? What if she dies like Cora and Edrice? Burned and raped like a dog!"
Yei smiled, but there was no joy in it. In fact, he was holding himself together.
"If my own daughter cannot hold her own against the enemy, then perhaps she deserves to perish. This is her test as well. To see if she isn't as disappointing as she appears to be. If she dies, I wouldn't be much surprised. I'm giving her a chance to prove herself worthy."
Miao felt her heart slamming into her chest. She wanted to wring his neck. Murder him in ways she hadn't thought possible. She felt her eyes pool with tears. Without warning, her hand shot forward and struck him across the face.
Yei held his cheek in shock. He narrowed his eyes in rage.
"How...dare you!" She burst out, enraged. "Why does your own daughter have to kill to be worthy of love from you? She is your only child! She tries her best all the time and all you do is pretend as though she were more useless than a one-legged goat! You're already a horrible father, the least you can do is care about her life! I've already lost two children, you won't take her away from me, you miserable man!"
Yei's hand flew across Miao's face with such a harsh force it sent her crashing into the floor. She looked up at him in shock, holding her cheek weakly. She knew what was coming. And she didn't have the strength to fight it. The truth is, she knew she wouldn't win either way. But she had to try. All she could do was try.
"You...rotten bitch," Yei seethed as he reached for his whip that hung against the wall. "You dare dishonour me...your husband! I will beat respect into you if I have to!"
Miao braced for every strike that came. The walls drowned out her screams.
I'm sorry, my daughter. Just know I tried. All I can do is try.
One day...she hoped it would be enough.