City Lord Liu Peng slowly walked into his office, taking care of showing just the barest hint of his aura.

  The council members, visitors, office workers and servants had to see him confident, or rumors would spread.

  He wasn't just one of the most important people in his beloved Green Leaves City, but also one of the most powerful, recently sitting in the first stage of the Dao Communion realm - First Touch, as he learned it was called.

  He had enough worries on his own, he didn't need made up ones too.

  He sat down uncomfortably in his chair. He knew it was supposed to be huge, but he was, well, huge-er. Food was the one thing where he overindulged, but he didn't plan to change it.

  Especially not when the still-warm bakeries sat in his table, the only good looking thing in his whole plain, boring office.

  He took a small delicacy, a circular pastry with marmalade on it.

  When he was done, he knew he had kept the worker waiting long enough to not seem suspicious.

  Or maybe, I looked like I didn't want to seem suspicious, and now I do…

  “Sir… can I begin with my report?” the scrawny man asked. He looked even smaller when in front of the fat man.

  Peng noticed the way he had been addressed.

  They were much more respectful of me once. Bah, whatever. At least we don't waste as much time now.

  “Yes. Keep the population count for last, I want it fresh in my mind when we are done”

  He let out a fraction more of his aura for an instant, right before the scrawny man began, making him let out a squeal.

  He didn't enjoy scaring the people of his town, and even less those who worked for him everyday, but he had to make clear one simple concept:

  They couldn't lie to him. They had no way to, even if they wanted.

  The speed at which a Cultivator of his calibre went was simply on another level, letting him pick up clues weaker people didn't even know existed.

  It was also a way to remind them that he was more powerful than whoever bribed or threatened them into feeding him false informations.

  He could punish them or protect them no matter who was behind.

  In his role as the City Lord, it was the one way he could make his strength useful.

  He was sure not many saw it that way, but the removal of corruption and misinformation was the best way to leverage it, in his position.

  The worker started talking, sharing with him all the relevant changes that happened in the last few weeks- the economy and movements of merchants, problematic infrastructure, crime rates, and more.

  It was a boring and tedious job he had, but Liu Peng always made sure to govern his city to the path of prosperity, keeping track of everything relevant and already preparing letters to send later.

  When the report moved to the population, he knew he had no letters to send.

  Only prayers.

  Population: a bit over 200 000, they'd break the 210's by the end of the year. Death rate stayed consistent. Birth rate increased by a marginal amount, finally reaching 3 thousands per year.

  The number he waited for came: 39 young men and women had awakened as Cultivators since the last annual report.

  His prayers had not been answered.

  Even in proportion, these were more than Green Leaves City had ever produced, breaking last year's record, which broke the year's before record. The worker made sure to point it out.

  Liu Peng barely tried to hide his feelings, but if the little man's sweating told him anything, it was clear what kind of expression he had.

  This time, he hoped that whatever voices would be made up, would be only about him, and not the numbers.

  The man excused himself as soon as he was finished, rushing out of the room.

  He sent out a pulse of Qi, making sure no one had seen their interaction.

  If he had been so easy to read for a mortal, any Cultivator spy would have noticed what ticked him.

  He found none.

  These numbers don't bode well, at all. The Beasts are growing both in quantity and aggressivity, to the point even I had to intervene last year.

  And they've grown so much more dangerous that the Law of Balance had to find a way to bolster our ranks.

  I fear what the price could be.

  Not just the numbers, but also the quality of our youth is increasing. Last year we got Chang Jian, the prodigy of the Chang clan. He may be a statistical anomaly, even more for a small, mortal city like ours, but for how long will he be?

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Something is coming, sooner or later. Some King of beasts, an ancient monster freeing themselves, something.

  We'll have to be ready. Both the council and population will be against this, but I don't care. We're making sure our young promises are kept.

  I'm keeping this city alive, these people safe. My citizens deserve to be protected.

  These are the howls before the hunt.

  …

  Xie San was one of the elders of the small Black Fist sect, in the first steps of the Mortal Purity stage.

  At her age, it would be impossible to even reach the middle ones, with the Dao Communion realm being not even a dream. Any meaningful progress was far out of her grasp.

  So she relegated herself to training the new generations of Cultivations who joined their ranks each year, supporting every step of their growth.

  Most of them ended up stuck either at the peak of the Acclimation stage, or the beginning of the Second Awakening one, never even properly forming their meridians.

  Very few of them reached the second step of that realm, and even fewer the third and last.

  In the last two hundred years, out of hundreds of talents, only twelve of them broke into the Mortal Purity.

  The current City Lord was the only living member of their sect who ever made it past the Mortal Reforge realm, reaching the first stage of the Dao Communion realm, First Touch. And he abandoned them, to waste his time on the mortals of their city.

  The only other person of their generation who showed the potential of gaining that level of power was Chang Ling, the man who once was her rival.

  He was still stuck at the peak of Mortal Reforge, and Xie San knew it was only because of his categorical refusal of change.

  In front of her was a boy who held the same potential, but would most likely never be able to show his value.

  One of her many great-something-grandchildren, Xie Mo, would be considered a prodigy even outside their little city, having awakened before his thirteenth birthday.

  In two weeks, he'd be the only member of the year's fighters in the tournament to be under that age, which he'll cross a month later, in the coming of the Red Moon.

  Watching him train, she could only be proud of her progeny.

  The kid was still small, his body thin, but as he practiced his punches, even his seniors were put on their back foot. While his skills in fighting had yet to show, the talent he had in using Fighting Techniques was undeniable.

  One of his hits sent a young man to the floor. He was bigger, some years older, and a Cultivator for three years. Stuck in the middle of the first stage, he just got beaten by a junior who awakened just two weeks earlier.

  Xie San helped him get up, and sent him away to cool off and reflect on the sparring.

  Then, she patted the bald head of his…

  My grandchild, sure.

  … and smiled at him. The kid looked up with eyes full of admiration.

  “You did a good job, Mo, I'm proud of you. But you still have to focus on the basics of fighting, or you won't be able to put it into practice. Here, I'll show you.”

  The rest of the afternoon was spent on their one-on-one training, something that she did only for him.

  The kid would be either the future of their small sect, or a fizzling star to fade away in the coming times, and it was up to her to make sure he’d reach greatness. This idea was made even more clear in her head during their training, as she noticed all the times the kid flinched from pains he shouldn’t feel, bruised from hits that didn’t hurt, and tried to hide the drops of blood in his mouth.

  Even as Xie Mo panted, tired far too soon, she had the firm belief that his sickness wouldn’t be enough to stop the kid, for as long as she was there for him, as she made sure to let him know.

  “We’re done for today, you’ve trained more than enough, Grandson. Now go clean yourself up, and study the books I’ve left you in the time left. I’ll call you when enough members of our sect have gathered. Make sure to be in perfect conditions, you’ll be the centre of attention. And tonight we Cultivate, I’ve gathered the resources for a Fiery Blossom Elixir.”

  The old woman also retired to her quarters, a classical pagoda with five floors, towering over almost all the other buildings of the city. She enjoyed it mostly because she could watch the Cheng patriarch’s home from above, even in the distance, knowing that her old rival would be rotting in some cellar.

  The two men of that clan had caused far too many losses to her sect over the years. What was jealously guarded property in the sect’s library, was for them something to trade freely, give away for a price.

  They easily provided what Cultivators with no backing needed, the same Cultivators who usually would be forced to join a sect so that they could earn their hard-earned techniques.

  Just like the one she was holding in her hand.

  It appeared to be just an old scroll, but she, the Sect Leader, and another elder fought hard for it, one of the rewards for finding and exploring an ancient ravine hidden in their territories, left by some forgotten eminence.

  Inside, they had found trials, traps, and monstrous enemies, but the valiant efforts of Xie San and the Sect Leader had rewarded them with treasures and resources. The three of them had divided them, even if some natural treasures were left to wait in their safest places for an alchemist capable enough.

  The scroll in her hands was something she had to barter quite a lot to get. A powerful Cultivation Technique, one suited for her grandson and his short lifespan, that could help him reach the same stage as the City Lord. It had some drawbacks, but the unique condition of her descendant would make them a non-issue.

  That evening, the whole sect showed up to her call. More than a hundred Cultivators, from the lowest of the Acclimation stage to the peak of the Second awakening, all to see one kid and his prodigious talent.

  Be it from Green Leaves City, or the many neighbouring towns, they all came for the same reason.

  They more than filled the main hall, their chatter mixing into a cacophony that had the kid cover his ears. The elder put a hand on his shoulder, showing her support, before she started talking to the crowd.

  “In the last century” she began, her voice enhanced to be heard by all those gathered “our sect slowly bled out. We lost members. We lost support. We lost the power we once held over this city, our richness, our fame and notoriety, the respect inherent in the name of the Black Fist Sect, something we had built up together, putting in our blood, sweat, and tears over too many generations to count.

  This will soon end, my students. You’ve served our sect for years, just like it has served you. Today, I am here to show you our future. This is my grandson, Xie Mo. He is still just twelve, and yet here he is, a Cultivator just like you, an untapped well of potential that will soon grow to be one of the strongest men most of us will have ever seen.

  He will rise above the masses, and make the name of our sect once again the symbol of strength in our region, guiding us to newfound glory.”

  She could see the people start talking between them once again, some sceptical, most excited at their coming prospects. They scrutinized her grandson, as if his talent was something they could recognize with just their eyes.

  “But the sect is made from all of its people, you included.” And now, you’ll finally be useful for something, leeches. “Just like my grandson will bless you in the future, today I ask you to support him.”

  In the following speech, she asked them to distinguish themselves in the coming of the Red Moon and its monsters, giving up part of their prizes, taking on more jobs and missions to share the rewards, and ended it with some more promises.

  When they left, Xie Mo looked up at her. There was something in his eyes- more “somethings” that the old woman could recognize. So, she tried to reason with him, make him feel less overwhelmed.

  “I know I’m putting a lot of pressure on you, Grandson. But it’s only by doing this that we’ll ensure you will grow enough to heal from your illness. I’m sure you can understand.”

  “I do, Grandma. I will do my best to live a long life, too.”