As the slender filament of qi flowed like a ghost through the meridians of Li Wei’s wrist, the binding silk remained undisturbed.

  It lay cool and innocent against his skin, behaving precisely like the silk cord it appeared to be. There was no pulse of restrictive spellforce, no tightening, no dormant glow that roared awake in warning.

  The meridian circuit completed, and still the silk did not stir.

  Li Wei pressed his tongue to the back of his teeth to hide the tremor of relief that threatened to escape his mouth.

  Encouraged, he coaxed forth a stronger thread of qi, one the full width of a hair. He guided it along the same route, letting it wash through his limbs and collect momentarily at his fingertips. Again, the silk hunched there like a sleeping snake, indifferent to the trespass taking place beneath its coils.

  The corner of Li Wei’s mouth twitched upward before restraint caged it. His heart fluttered like a bird sensing an opening in its cage. He summoned yet more qi. A thicker current coiled from his dantian, circling his meridians with cautious speed. He cycled it once. Twice. Faster. Slower. Testing, teasing, taunting the seal that should have snapped upon the first hint of cultivation.

  Nothing.

  The Heavenly Dao Lotus is incredible, Li Wei marveled. It is masking my cultivation entirely. Even spiritual materials fail to detect me. Even those inner sect disciples can sense nothing.

  But joy, like qi, must flow and dissipate. It cannot stay pooled safely forever.

  His thoughts sobered.

  Even if I have access to my cultivation, what can I do with it here? My strength is not enough to overwhelm a trained inner sect disciple, much less two. And the elders… there are tigers everywhere.

  He could slip away only as far as the judgement prepared for him. Still, having one card hidden beneath the table remained a better fate than sitting helpless with all cards exposed.

  Time lumbered onward…

  A heavy silence stretched into an hour.

  Then another half.

  The scent of burning incense grew stale in his lungs. The disciples flanking him remained statues, breathing only to prove they were not inanimate. When, at last, the final half hour expired, footsteps echoed like blades striking tile. The First Head entered the hall with the solemnity of a verdict already written in the air. The blue and silver patterns of his robe flickered beneath the torches, his eyes surveying the courtroom coolly.

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  One by one, the remaining elders filed in. The Second Head. The Third, Elder Ming Haoren, whose sharp gaze gleamed with anticipation.

  Li Wei was commanded to descend from the cross-examination box. He obeyed, stepping into the center circle of polished jade that served as the judgement ground for a disciple’s future. He maintained a respectful posture, shoulders squared, head slightly bowed.

  The main door opened.

  Su Qingyue entered, her delicate features composed. Behind her walked Patriarch Shigo Tianyu and the Assistant Sect Lord. They took positions near the observatory seats.

  A small, black cloth pouch was passed among the elders. Each withdrew a slip of paper, etched either with the character for guilt or for innocence. The soft brushing strokes of brush on parchment sounded louder than a sword unsheathed. The pouch was delivered to the First Head, whose broad hands emptied its contents on his elevated table. His expression remained unreadable, but every second he spent reading those slips shaved away a piece of Li Wei’s sanity. Occasionally, the First Head looked up with a gaze so heavy Li Wei felt it press into his bones. And then, without ceremony, he returned the slips to the pouch and handed it back to the Second Head, who ignited it with a flicker of qi. Smoke curled upward, devouring the fate of the accused in silent ash.

  Li Wei’s palms sweated. He was judged, and yet not a word had been spoken.

  The First Head cleared his throat. His voice carried through the chamber with the authority of old iron bells.

  “The matter before this court is grave. A life belonging to the Heavenly Sword Pavilion was lost in our territory. This transgression cannot be taken lightly, for the heavens themselves watch over justice when blood is spilled.”

  The hall was utterly still.

  He continued. “This court has examined the testimony. We have weighed the evidence provided by the Third Head. We have reviewed the circumstances surrounding the death of young lord Guo Liang. In these proceedings, the burden of truth is a blade balanced on a single hair.”

  Li Wei’s gaze remained steady, but inside him storm clouds gathered.

  “The accused stands before us, a disciple of Azure Cloud Sect. Low-born. Of insufficient station to incite personal vendettas from those of far higher ancestry. And yet, the victim, the late Guo Liang, suffered under a poison unknown to most disciples. This alone implies access. The argument that the accused lacked cultivation is weak. There exist methods to strike unseen, such as poison. The absence of evidence is often a sign of cunning.”

  Li Wei felt his chest tighten. They see only what they want to see, he thought.

  “Furthermore,” the First Head pressed on, “the Third Head presented multiple points of corroboration. The accused possessed motive, humiliation suffered at the hands of the victim. And most damning of all, there lies no alternative suspect.”

  The First Head’s voice resonated like thunder across a ravine.

  “The scales of justice tilt heavily. The elders have cast their judgement. The court, therefore, declares Li Wei… guilty of the murder of Young Lord Guo Liang!”

  The weight of the word ‘guilty’ rang like a gong inside Li Wei’s skull. The chamber did not gasp. Instead, silence thickened into something suffocating.

  Li Wei’s heart was in his throat, but his expression remained calm.

  The Third Head, who had been watching for Li Wei’s reaction, appeared slightly disappointed to see his calm attitude to the judgement. But when he recalled what a guilty verdict signified, a slight sneer curled his mouth. We’ll see if you can still remain indifferent when you hear what comes next? he thought.

  The First Head’s expression sharpened as he continued. “It is decreed that the heavens must re-balance the scales. Blood must answer for blood. Therefore, in accordance with sect law and karmic law… For the crime of poisoning and stealing another’s life, Li Wei’s life will also be taken from him, his life forfeit and returned to the cycle… in the name of justice!”