With that thought, Li Wei leans back against the cold stone wall, his mind focused on the promise of tomorrow. More outer disciples mean more cultivation to harvest. He feels the faint pulse of excitement building as he contemplates how much stronger he'll become. Without wasting another moment, he resumes consuming bone essence, determined to push himself closer to the next breakthrough.
For the next fourteen days, Jiao Han continues to bring more outer disciples. Word spreads quickly, and by the seventh day, nearly twenty disciples trail behind him each time. Li Wei implants bone shards into every one of them, and with each implantation, he feels that same faint presence—cold, distant, and persistent.
With each passing day, the oppressive feeling worsened. Every time Li Wei implanted another bone shard, the cold presence seeped deeper into his awareness. By the twelfth day, the sensation had transformed from a vague disturbance into an ever-present, ominous weight. He forced himself to remain composed, yet the persistent unease gnawed at him.
Determined to make a change, Li Wei decided that the next batch of disciples would mark the end of his self-experiments. He needed reliable information from an outer disciple—someone with connections to the inner circle. As the current group of disciples was departing, he called over Jiao Han.
Jiao Han approached promptly as Li Wei spoke in a low, measured tone, "Are there any outer disciples with ties to the inner disciples?"
After a brief pause, Jiao Han answered, "My lord, there is one—Ren Jun. Although an outer disciple, he has drawn the favor of Xu Ming."
Li Wei's eyebrow arched in skepticism. "And what makes Xu Ming favor him?"
Jiao Han shifted uncomfortably before replying, "There is talk among the disciples. Many say they are related—perhaps even distant cousins. Others say that they are unusually close. Ren Jun is known to publicly acknowledge Xu Ming as his benefactor. Because of this association, none of the other outer disciples dare take advantage of him."
Li Wei considered this with a heavy silence before finally speaking. His tone was cold, final. "Bring him along with the next batch. It will be our last batch."
Jiao Han hesitated, shifting nervously. "My lord," he began, his voice trembling slightly. "The strength potion… it's sold."
Li Wei's gaze sharpened, his eyes locking onto Jiao Han like a blade. "Who bought it?"
Jiao Han rubbed his hands together, avoiding Li Wei's piercing stare. "An inner disciple, my lord. He didn't give his name. Just… showed interest and paid immediately."
Li Wei's brow furrowed, his mind racing. "Naturally, only an inner disciple could afford it. But trading with an outer disciple? That's highly irregular". He tilted his head slightly, his voice calm but probing. "And this inner disciple… what did he look like? What can you tell me about him?"
Jiao Han hunched his shoulders, his discomfort clear. "I—I don't know much, my lord. He was tall, wore a plain robe, nothing distinctive. His tone was hurried, like he didn't want to linger." He hesitated before adding, "I thought he might kill me, so I mentioned I worked for you. I hope that's alright."
Li Wei's eyes narrowed. "An inner disciple willing to deal with someone like Jiao Han… weak or desperate". He let the silence hang for a moment, then spoke, his voice cutting. "What else?"
"That's all, my lord!" Jiao Han stammered, his words tumbling out quickly. "He left right after taking the potion. I didn't want to ask too many questions—in case of offending him."
Li Wei leaned back slightly, exhaling slowly. Coward, he thought, though he understood Jiao Han's hesitation. Outer disciples meddling with inner disciples was a fine line to walk. "Nothing else?" Li Wei pressed.
Jiao Han shook his head, his voice barely above a whisper. "No, my lord. Just handed over the payment and left."
After a short pause, Jiao Han reached into his pouch and handed over a stack of pills—fifteen Grade 1 Bone Pills. Li Wei accepted them without a word, his eyes fixed on Li Wei studied Jiao Han for a moment longer, his gaze unwavering. The trembling disciple avoided eye contact, clutching the remaining items tightly. "It's not as much as Zhao Ming would have paid, but it makes sense. The inner disciple probably gave a lower price—not so low as to offend me, but enough to make it a good deal for him. Could Jiao Han have stolen from me? The sheer audacity that would take is unimaginable," Li Wei thought, his lips curling slightly. It works out for me either way since it helps with my anonymity problem. Losing 3 pills is acceptable.
After a long silence, Li Wei spoke, his tone measured but sharp. "Next time, sell him another strength potion. But this time, tell him I want to meet. Let him know I have… other opportunities he might find useful."
Jiao Han blinked, surprise flickering across his face. "Yes, my lord," he stammered, bowing deeply. "I'll make sure he knows."
Li Wei leaned back, his mind weighing the potential gains and dangers. Every other inner disciple had backers—connections forged during their time as outer disciples. These alliances gave inner disciples access to information, resources, and influence—advantages that Li Wei currently lacked. These connections were a safety net, a foundation that allowed them to navigate the treacherous waters of sect life with relative ease. For Li Wei, mingling with other inner disciples offered a way to bridge that gap, especially those on different mountains. He frowned slightly, his thoughts turning over the risks. "I don't even know who I'd be offending on this mountain if I make a wrong move. Best to get a foothold outside, away from this chaos," he thought grimly.
The disciples under Elder Gao were especially troubling. Each encounter with them was more unsettling than the last. Their fervent attempts to recruit him were unnerving, their intentions veiled beneath layers of sect dogma and fervour. "Crazy zealots," he mused, a flicker of irritation crossing his face.
His gaze darkened as he mulled over the realities of his situation."Knowledge alone won't save me. The quicksand of sect politics can swallow even the most cunning. Without strength to back it up, all the scheming in the world amounts to nothing."
Decision made, Li Wei reached into his storage pouch. Without any visible motion to open it, a strength elixir came out, followed by a Grade 1 Bone Pill. He held the items out to Jiao Han, who stepped forward cautiously, bowing low as he accepted them. His hands trembled slightly as he clutched the elixir and pill, his head dipping further in deference.
"Don't fail me," Li Wei said, his voice cold and flat. Jiao Han nodded quickly, bowing again.
"Yes, my lord. I won't disappoint you," Jiao Han stammered, his words rushed and uneasy. He stepped back slowly, his head still lowered, before retreating toward the cave entrance.
Li Wei watched him leave, his expression unreadable. The silence of the cave returned as his mind sharpened on the path ahead. "This is a risk. But it's one I need to take. Without connections, without information, I'll always be at a disadvantage. "
The cave fell silent as Jiao Han's footsteps faded into the distance. Li Wei sat alone in the dim light, his thoughts racing.
Li Wei's thoughts turned to the implants. The feeling had been subtle at first, an oddity he dismissed during the early implantations. But as the days passed and the number of disciples grew, the sensation intensified. The cold, unnatural presence seemed to cling to every shard he implanted, faint at first but increasingly oppressive. By today, it loomed over him like an ever-present shadow.
He had tried to brush it off, attributing it to fatigue or his mind playing tricks on him. But he knew better. The unease wasn't imaginary, gnawing at his thoughts with a persistence that couldn't be ignored. Denial wasn't just naïve; it was dangerous. The truth sat in his chest like a lead weight, and the more he focused on it, the clearer it became: something was wrong.
A gnawing unease crept through him as he sat in the silence of his cave. "That presence… It isn't normal. Someone else is there." The thought lingered on his chest, pressing down with an oppressive certainty. This wasn't just a quirk of the technique or a side effect of the shards. It felt deliberate, controlled—like a tether linking him to something else.
Li Wei gripped the edge of the table, his fingers tightening as his mind raced through the possibilities. "This presence…." His voice was barely a whisper. "I'm not the only one who knows Bone Parasitism."