The fortress buried its dead at dawn.
Wang Ben stood among the assembled cultivators as the memorial ceremony concluded, watching names being carved into the wall that had become too familiar. One hundred and twenty-seven new inscriptions joined the hundreds already weathering under the mountain wind, each character a life that had ended defending these walls.
Chen Yifeng, mid-stage foundation establishment. Sector 5 defensive position.
Huang Mei, late-stage qi condensation. Medical support, evacuation assistance.
Zhou Xin, early-stage foundation establishment. Formation support team.
He read them one by one, committing each to memory. The ritual had become necessary, a way of honoring the cost that the war extracted day by day. Liu Feng stood nearby, his expression carrying the same weight that Wang Ben felt, the understanding that any of them could be next.
"You're still reading them." Commander Feng's voice came from beside him, low enough to avoid carrying.
"Someone has to."
"Many do. But few with your... attention." The commander's Fire presence was subdued, banked to respectful quiet. "Your tactical analysis saved lives in the attack. The pattern recognition that predicted their approach directions allowed us to position reserves appropriately."
"Not appropriately enough." Wang Ben's gaze found another name. "Liu Xiaofeng, formation team seven. I worked with her on sector repairs two weeks ago."
"We saved more than we lost. That's the best anyone can achieve in this war." Commander Feng's voice held no comfort, only the acceptance of someone who had learned to measure victory in margins. "Walk with me. There are matters to discuss."
The command center was quieter now, the urgent chaos of the attack's aftermath settling into the grimmer routine of recovery. Officers moved between stations, compiling damage reports and resource assessments that would determine how long the fortress could continue holding.
"The attack confirmed our intelligence about enemy strategy," Commander Feng said as they entered his private office. "Concentrated pressure on Metal-deficient sectors, exactly as your analysis predicted. Iron Gate's fall taught them what works."
"They'll apply the same approach again." Wang Ben had been thinking about this since the fighting ended. "The attack was a test. They wanted to see if our reinforced positions could hold. Now they know where we're still vulnerable."
"Agreed. Which is why I'm requesting additional formation support from the Crimson Bastion. Your work on our arrays has been exceptional, but we need more hands. More materials. More time."
"Will the request be granted?"
Commander Feng's expression tightened. "That depends on how the strategic council weighs our needs against a dozen other crisis points. Iron Gate's fall has destabilized our entire southwestern front. Resources are being pulled in multiple directions."
The implications were clear. Azure Dragon might not receive the support it needed. They would have to survive on their own.
"There's another matter." Commander Feng moved to his desk, retrieving a sealed message that bore an unfamiliar insignia. "This arrived during the attack. It was marked for your attention specifically."
Wang Ben took the message, examining the seal. The symbol was subtle, easy to overlook if you didn't know what you were seeing. A gate wreathed in shadow.
The Phantom Gate.
[RECOGNITION: Shen Clan communication seal]
[Origin: Phantom Gate intelligence network]
[Classification: Private message, recipient-specific encryption]
[Note: This seal indicates direct communication from high-ranking Shen Clan member. Likely Shen Wuyan]
"I don't recognize the seal," Commander Feng said, watching Wang Ben's reaction. "But the messenger who delivered it was... unusual. She arrived, delivered the message, and departed without speaking to anyone else. Very skilled."
"A private matter." Wang Ben kept his voice neutral despite the tension building in his chest. "Family business that predates my service here."
"I don't need details. But I do need to know if this will affect your duties."
"It might require my temporary absence. I won't know until I read the contents."
Commander Feng studied him for a long moment, then nodded. "Your contributions have been valuable, Wang Ben. Whatever business this represents, I trust you'll handle it appropriately. Just keep me informed if your availability changes."
"Yes, Commander."
Wang Ben broke the seal in the privacy of his quarters.
The message was brief, written in a cipher that the System translated automatically. Shen Wuyan's hand, his distinctive precision evident in every character.
The time has come for the second favor.
Intelligence has reached us regarding Frozen Jade operations that require immediate investigation. The matter connects to your personal concerns in ways that will become clear during briefing.
A meeting point has been established. You will be contacted within three days.
This mission will require extended absence from your current posting. Prepare accordingly.
W.
Wang Ben read the message twice, then watched it dissolve into ash as the encryption's self-destruction mechanism activated. The Phantom Gate's security was thorough.
[ANALYSIS: Shen Wuyan communication]
[Content summary: Second favor being called. Mission involves Frozen Jade intelligence gathering]
[Personal connection indicated but unspecified]
[Timeframe: Contact within 3 days, extended mission duration implied]
[Risk assessment: High. Operating within enemy territory during active conflict]
[Note: "Personal concerns" unspecified. Possible connection to Li Cheng's surveillance network in Blackwood region]
The timing couldn't be coincidental. Lin Suyin had mentioned unusual activity in the Frozen Jade regions his grandfather had monitored, and now Shen Wuyan was calling him to investigate operations in that same territory. The pieces were aligning in ways he was only beginning to understand.
Mother's sealed bloodline. The Ice affinity that the physicians can't fully explain. And now someone searching for something in the same forest Grandfather watched for seven years.
He couldn't see the full pattern yet. Not until Shen Wuyan told him what this mission was really about.
He thought of Wang Tian, working double shifts with the physicians to treat the wounded. Thought of Li Mei back in Redstone City, managing her condition while caring for Chen'er. His family, split between fortress and home, all depending on him.
And now he would have to leave them.
Lin Suyin found him at the memorial wall that evening.
"You've received contact." Her voice carried no question. "A messenger arrived during the attack. Very skilled, very deliberate. She was noticed despite her efforts to avoid attention."
Wang Ben said nothing, waiting to see what she knew.
"The Silent Path has been gathering fragments about unusual activity deep within Frozen Jade territory. Something significant is happening in the regions your grandfather was monitoring." Lin Suyin moved to stand beside him, studying the names carved into stone. "And now you receive a private message that may require your extended absence."
"You're well-informed about my business."
"It's my job to be informed." Lin Suyin's expression remained neutral. "The timing is interesting. Whatever is happening in that region would naturally draw attention from those with... personal interest in your grandfather's work."
She was fishing. Trying to understand who had contacted him and why.
"I have obligations that predate my service at this fortress," Wang Ben said carefully. "Debts that must be honored when called."
"Debts." Lin Suyin considered this. "And this debt is being called now, to send you into enemy territory during active conflict."
"If I go, it will be for my own reasons as much as any obligation."
"The detection patterns from Li Cheng's anchors, the Dark and Ice energy signatures, they align with certain... patterns in historical records." Lin Suyin turned to face him directly. "The Silent Path doesn't know what's being searched for in those regions. But whatever it is, it's old enough to predate the current kingdoms. And your grandfather spent years watching it."
Wang Ben processed this, adding the information to the growing web of connections in his mind. His grandfather's surveillance network. Whatever was hidden in the Frozen Jade territories. His mother's sealed bloodline. All threading together toward something he couldn't yet see clearly.
"What do you want from me?" he asked.
"If you go into enemy territory, whatever you learn about the activity in that region, consider sharing it with the Silent Path." Lin Suyin's voice was careful. "Your... debt-holder may have different priorities than we do. Multiple perspectives on the same intelligence serves everyone's interests."
"You're asking me to report to you while fulfilling obligations to someone else."
"I'm asking you to remember that the Silent Path has supported your investigations. That we've provided resources and information." Lin Suyin's expression softened slightly. "I'm not asking you to compromise your commitments. Just to share what you discover, if you're able."
Wang Ben considered the request. It wasn't unreasonable. Lin Suyin had been helpful, had provided genuine support for his search for answers about his grandfather. The Silent Path's interests seemed to align with his own in many ways.
But he was already carrying too many secrets. Adding another layer of obligation felt dangerous.
"I'll consider it," he said finally. "But I make no promises."
"That's all I ask." Lin Suyin nodded. "Be careful in enemy territory, Wang Ben. The Frozen Jade Kingdom doesn't treat Azure Sky cultivators gently when they're caught where they shouldn't be."
She departed, leaving him alone with the memorial wall and the weight of competing loyalties.
...
The cultivation session that night was brief but focused.
Wang Ben settled into meditation, drawing spiritual energy through patterns that had become as natural as breathing. The fortress's ambient qi was heavy with the residue of combat, traces of Ice and Fire techniques that had clashed against the defensive formations.
[CULTIVATION SESSION: Hour 1.5]
[Qi absorbed: 398 motes]
[Qi retained: 55 motes]
[Retention efficiency: 13.7%]
[Elemental composition:]
[- Earth: 18 motes (39.1%)]
[- Metal: 12 motes (26.1%)]
[- Fire: 9 motes (19.6%)]
[- Ice: 5 motes (10.9%)]
[- Wood: 2 motes (4.3%)]
[Environment: Azure Dragon Fortress (Post-battle recovery, Ice contamination elevated)]
[Note: Ice element absorption increased due to enemy technique residue. Integration proceeding without rejection. Host's elemental flexibility continues to exceed standard limits]
The Ice motes were new, traces left behind by the enemy cultivators who had assaulted the walls. Wang Ben absorbed them without difficulty, his cultivation treating the hostile element no differently than any other qi.
Still no rejection, he thought. Still integrating elements that should conflict with each other.
The System had noted his unusual flexibility repeatedly, but offered no explanation for why he could absorb Ice energy so easily when most Azure Sky cultivators would struggle. It was another mystery, another piece of a puzzle that grew more complex with every passing day.
He ended the session as the fortress bells marked midnight. Tomorrow would bring preparations for Shen Wuyan's mission. Tonight, he needed rest.
But sleep came slowly, his mind churning through implications and possibilities.
Someone is searching for something. Grandfather was watching something. Mother's bloodline holds secrets.
And now I'm being sent into enemy territory to investigate.
The threads were tightening. Whatever waited at their center, he was being drawn toward it whether he chose to be or not.
...
The contact came on the third day.
A woman appeared at his quarters without announcement, her presence so muted that Wang Ben didn't sense her until she was already inside the room. She wore nondescript traveling clothes and carried no visible weapons, but her movements spoke of training that went far beyond ordinary cultivation.
"Wang Ben." Her voice was low, professional. "I'm here to escort you to the briefing location."
"You're Phantom Gate."
"I'm your transportation." She didn't confirm or deny her affiliation. "Pack light. We travel fast and quiet. No visible connection to your current posting."
"My cover story?"
"Extended formation survey in the Blackwood interior. Commander Feng has been notified through appropriate channels. He believes you're investigating the anchor network your grandfather left behind." The woman's expression remained neutral. "It's close enough to truth that it shouldn't attract suspicion."
Wang Ben gathered his essential supplies, filling a pack with formation tools, cultivation materials, and the personal effects that would support his cover identity. His movements were efficient, practiced. He had prepared for this since receiving Shen Wuyan's message.
"My family?"
"Your father at the fortress has been told you're on an extended assignment. Messages to your family in Redstone City will continue to flow through normal channels while you're away." The woman moved to the window, checking the approach angles. "Say your goodbyes before we leave. You won't have another chance."
Wang Ben found his father in the medical ward, where Wang Tian was still tending to the attack's wounded. The meeting was brief but weighted with unspoken concern.
"An assignment." Wang Tian's voice carried suspicion he didn't voice. "The formation survey."
"Grandfather's network needs deeper investigation. Commander Feng believes the intelligence is time-sensitive." The lies came easily, backed by partial truth. "I'll be away for some time."
"How long?"
"I don't know yet. Weeks, possibly longer."
Wang Tian's expression tightened. "Your mother will worry. Chen'er is still young, and with her condition..."
"Tell her I'll be careful. That I'll return safely." Wang Ben met his father's eyes. "Watch over them for me."
"Always, Ben'er." Wang Tian gripped his shoulder, the warmth of his Fire presence a steady comfort. "Just make sure you do come back."
He embraced his father, feeling the familiar strength that had anchored their family through every crisis. Family. The reason he endured all of this.
The reason he would do whatever Shen Wuyan asked.
They departed at dusk, slipping through the fortress's western gate while the watch changed.
The Phantom Gate operative led him along paths that avoided normal patrol routes, her movements suggesting intimate knowledge of the fortress's security patterns. Before the next watch rotation, they had left Azure Dragon behind, traveling into the disputed territory that lay between the kingdom's defenses and enemy-held lands.
"We travel through the night," the operative said as they moved through the gathering darkness. "We'll meet Shen Wuyan at dawn."
Shen Wuyan himself, not a messenger or intermediary. This mission was important enough for personal involvement.
Wang Ben followed in silence, his mind cataloging the journey's details while his body moved through terrain that grew increasingly unfamiliar. Behind him, the fortress's lights faded into the distance. Ahead, enemy territory waited.
And somewhere in that frozen landscape, answers waited too.
The mission begins in three days, Shen Wuyan had written. Tell no one.
Three days had passed. The mission was beginning.
Whatever lay ahead, there was no turning back now.