Chang Chang swallowed. She looked at Cerest, letting him see the undisguised hatred. "I studied the art of blood divination and magical essence under the tutelage of a powerful blood cultivator, Fung Shi." she said. "My great-uncle paid out most of his savings to apprentice me to the man because he specialized in handling wielders of unstable mystical essence like mine. I learned from him for three years and acquired a reasonable level of skill in the Art."
"A reasonable level—did he believe you had the potential for greater power?" Cerest asked.
Chang Chang's jaw clenched at the eager light in his eyes. "You mean advancement? Yes. He wanted me to travel with him, to test my skills out in the world. But I had no desire to leave my home. That mistake cost my master his life."
"What happened?" One of the men called Cerest said.
"First tell her to move the dagger," Chang Chang said, looking at Shenan but addressing Cerest.
