10. Clan Assessment (2)
As they walked back toward their small compound, the sun continued its descent, painting the sky in deep shades of orange and purple. The streets had grown quieter, with only the occasional lantern being lit in windows and the distant sound of evening bells ringing from a nearby temple.
Jiu Lan stayed close, her voice low but insistent. “You can keep telling mother pretty stories, but I’m not her. Something is different about you. The way you speak now. The way you move. Even the way you looked at the stewards today. It wasn’t the look of someone who just awakened. Tell me the truth, brother. What really happened in the woods?”
Jiu Yin kept his expression calm, mentally preparing his response. She is too sharp. I cannot give her nothing, or she will dig deeper. But I cannot give her the truth either. “I already told you, Lan’er. I found a dying dire bear. Finishing it off awakened something inside me. The encounter was more intense than I expected. It changed me.”
Jiu Lan’s green eyes narrowed. She wasn’t satisfied. “Intense enough to change your entire personality in days? You used to hesitate before speaking. You used to avoid eye contact. Now you look at people like you’re measuring them. Like you’re deciding whether they’re prey or not. That’s not normal.”
She sees too much. Jiu Yin allowed a small, tired smile to touch his lips. “I spent years being looked down on as talentless. Now that I finally have a path, I refuse to waste it. I have to change quickly if I want to protect our family. That is all. You worry too much, sister.”
Jiu Lan let out a frustrated breath. “Protect us? By hiding things? We are twins. I know when you’re lying. Or at least when you’re not telling the full truth. If this power of yours is dangerous, I need to know. Mother has already lost father. I won’t lose you too because you decided to keep secrets.”
Jiu Yin’s gaze softened just enough to appear sincere. She is loyal. That can be useful, but not yet. “I am not hiding anything dangerous. The power is new and I am still learning to control it. When I understand it better, I will tell you more. For now, let us focus on the tournament. If we both do well, our branch might finally gain some respect.”
Jiu Lan studied him for a long moment, clearly unconvinced, but she eventually nodded. “Fine. But this conversation is not over. After we return home, we will speak again. Alone.”
Her tone left no room for refusal.
Jiu Yin simply nodded. They continued walking in tense silence as the last light of the sun disappeared behind the city walls.
As they walked, Jiu Yin’s mind drifted deeper. Hiding as a lone Sanguinari had always been difficult in his previous world. Without a House to back them on the surface and conceal their activities, survival was precarious. Numbers and power had always been the way to hide. Those who held actual territory openly as Sanguinari were few and far between. The solution was something he had never done before, and in this new world, it would be very risky.
As a low-level Sanguinari in his previous life, he had never given the mark to others to turn them. The process took weeks and was often fatal if left unsupervised. Whether due to madness, murder, or discovery, turning someone into a Sanguinari was unpleasant. It required the host’s biology to subtly change over nearly a week, and to seal their fate they had to drink more than a little blood. Even after that, control over the hunger was very weak. They could snap if not kept properly engorged.
He pondered solutions. His power base was not strong enough yet. The first goal would be to impress one of the sects and gain their backing. That protection would make them far more willing to defend him and his family against accusations if they ever arose. Only then could he consider starting a House, or what they called clans here.
The thought lingered as they approached their small compound. One week until the clan escort. Much could happen in that time.
The small Jiu family compound was quiet under the deepening twilight. Lanterns had been lit in the main room, casting a warm, flickering glow across the wooden walls and the low table where the remnants of their evening meal still sat. The scent of steamed rice and pickled vegetables lingered in the air, mixing with the faint herbal aroma from the bathwater earlier. Outside, the last traces of sunset had faded into deep purple, and the distant sounds of the city, night birds calling, the occasional bark of a dog, and the low murmur of neighbors, drifted over the walls.
Jiu Ping sat at the head of the low table, her hands folded neatly in her lap. Her face still carried the quiet relief from the day’s assessment, but there was also a new determination in her eyes. She looked at her two children, one after the other, as if weighing her words carefully.
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“Today was more than I dared to hope for,” she began softly. Her voice was gentle, but it carried the weight of years of quiet endurance. “Both of you were accepted. Even if it is on the lower end, it is still an opportunity. The clan will escort the selected youths in one week’s time. We must make the most of it.”
Jiu Lan sat straight-backed, her jet-black hair tied back neatly and her rare green eyes reflecting the lantern light. She nodded, but the tension in her shoulders had not fully eased. “Mother is right. The Lu clan stewards seemed interested in the Moonlight trait. If I can improve quickly, perhaps one of the sects will take notice.”
Jiu Ping’s expression softened as she looked at her daughter. For a long moment she was silent, as if making a difficult decision. Then she reached into the folds of her robe and withdrew a worn, leather-bound manual. The cover was faded, the pages yellowed with age, but it was clearly well cared for.
“Lan’er,” she said, her voice thick with emotion, “you have the same Moonlight trait as I do. I have held this back for too long, thinking it would be better for you to find your own path. But after today I see now that you are ready. This is my cultivation manual. It was passed down through my side of the family. Study it carefully. The Moonlight path is gentle but powerful when mastered. It will help you shine brighter at the sect assessment.”
Jiu Lan’s eyes widened. She reached out slowly and took the manual with both hands, almost reverently. “Mother… are you sure? I know how much this means to you.”
Jiu Ping smiled, though her eyes glistened. “I am sure. Our family is too small to keep secrets from each other any longer. Use it well. Make us proud.”
Jiu Lan bowed her head slightly, clutching the manual to her chest. For the first time that day, some of the sharp suspicion in her expression softened. “Thank you, Mother. I will study it every day. I won’t waste this chance.”
Jiu Yin watched the exchange quietly from his seat. The warmth between mother and daughter was genuine. It stirred that strange protective urge in his chest again, the echo of the boy whose body he now inhabited. He remained silent, letting the moment play out.
Jiu Ping turned her attention to him next. Her gaze was gentler, but still carried the quiet strength of a mother who had endured many hardships alone. “Yin’er,” she said, reaching across the table to lightly touch his hand, “your awakening has brought us hope. The assessor noted that your foundation is unusually sturdy despite only reaching the first stage of Iron Warrior. Your trait has not manifested yet, but I believe it will soon. Bloodlines can be slow to reveal themselves, especially after years of dormancy.”
Jiu Yin nodded respectfully. “I will do my best, Mother.”
Jiu Ping studied him for a moment, as if searching for something in his face. “For now, focus on physical training and circulating your Qi every day. Increase your rank steadily before we leave for the sect assessment in one week. Do not push yourself too hard or too fast. The body must be prepared. The mind must be calm.”
“I understand,” Jiu Yin replied. His voice was steady, but inside he was already calculating. Physical training and Qi circulation will help strengthen this vessel. The sun still weakens me during the day, but at night I can move more freely. I will need to find safe opportunities to hunt soon. The crimson thirst cannot be ignored for long.
Jiu Ping continued, her tone warm but firm. “You have already done so much for us by bringing back the money from the dire bear. Do not feel you must carry everything alone. We are a family. We support each other now.”
Jiu Yin offered a small smile. “I know, Mother. I will not let you down.”
The conversation drifted into lighter territory after that. Jiu Ping spoke about small improvements they could make to the compound with their new funds. Repairing the leaking roof. Buying better winter herbs. Perhaps even a new set of training clothes for both twins. Jiu Lan listened attentively, occasionally adding suggestions, while still clutching her mother’s manual tightly. Jiu Yin contributed when appropriate, playing the part of the dutiful son who had finally found his path.
Yet beneath the surface warmth, tension lingered. Jiu Lan’s occasional glances toward him were sharp. She was still watching, still waiting for the right moment to press him again. Jiu Yin was aware of it. He would have to be careful in the coming days.
As the evening deepened, Jiu Ping finally stood and began clearing the last of the dishes with Jiu Lan’s help. “It is late. Both of you should rest. Tomorrow we begin preparing in earnest. One week is not long, but it is enough if we work together.”
Jiu Yin retired to his small room shortly after. He sat cross-legged on the hard bed and closed his eyes, beginning the slow process of circulating the remaining dire bear essence. The energy moved through his meridians like liquid shadow mixed with raw vitality. It was different from the structured paths described in standard cultivation manuals. His power came from blood and shadow, not the standard dantian most cultivators relied upon.
As he cultivated, his mind wandered. The upcoming sect assessment in one week would be the first real test on a larger stage. The three great sects of the kingdom would be present. Representatives from even higher powers in the empire might be watching from afar. If he performed too well, he risked unwanted scrutiny. If he performed too poorly, the small branch of the Jiu family might lose what little support remained.
He needed more strength. More blood essence. More control.
Later that night, after his mother and sister had gone to sleep, Jiu Yin slipped out of his window and looked toward the distant city walls and the Whispering Woods beyond. The moon hung high, silver light bathing the rooftops. The discomfort from the day’s sunlight had finally faded completely. Night was his domain.
He would use it.
One week.
It would have to be enough.