Page 63 of The Wind Dancer
Mei Lin’s Interlude
Mei Lin’s mentor contacted her during the preparation for the mission. The large mirror on the wall rippled, and a presence could be felt from it.
Mei Lin straightened and bowed her head, respectfully folding her palms in front of herself. A moment later, the figure of a stern dragonblood appeared in the mirror.
“Greetings, Mentor,” she said respectfully. The importance of etiquette among dragonblood had been instilled in her since childhood. The lower classes could afford to neglect it, but if you had the blood of a dragon in you, you had to live up to your status as a noble person.
A narrow, stern face stared back at her from the reflection. The face of a man who never feared battle or shedding blood. It didn’t matter whose. All that mattered was reaching his goals. And he instilled the same traits in Mei Lin.
“Greetings, student. I wish to hear your report. How is the search for my brother’s legacy coming along?” His voice was as calm as it was deadly. The head of the Millstone School, a place where pampered children became dragonblood blades of the Empire, could forgive a lot, but not incompetence. And his personal students tried their best to make the mentor happy.
“I made a deal with Feng Lao. He passed on the information he had obtained from the den of the Master Without a Face. He was trained in the memory palace technique or a similar one at least. The writing style was identical to that of your brother. I dare say he might have a dragonblood lineage.”
“It is quite possible. Brother Yu dreamed of training the perfect agent of the will of the Sunset Empire. I went through his records after the squad was disbanded. It would be safe to assume that he decided to start it again. What was in the records?”
“Information from all over the province,” Mei Lin began, barely able to contain her excitement. “Each column a verdict.”
The mirror shook. The mentor’s fingers curled, as if feeling the weight of an invisible weapon.
“Is it speculation, or is it evidence?”
“Both. He was digging into everyone. Shadows, officials, judges. Even the temple servants. He mapped and recorded their connections, weaknesses, and wrongdoings.”
A shadow passed over the mentor’s face.
“Enough to bring the city to its knees.”
Mei Lin nodded. She knew that these documents weren’t just compromising evidence. These were the levers that kept the city running.
“The Master Without a Face...” His voice grew quieter, but not softer. “He didn’t collect this for blackmail. It wasn’t his style.”
“I would assume that this was an element of control,” Mei Lin concluded.
“Exactly.” The dragonblood’s lips curled into the semblance of a smile. “You may not have the power to Ascend, but your mind is sharper than any blade. Time and time again, you have proven that even without that power, you can stand beside those who have it. I was right in taking you on as a student.”
“I’m thankful for this honor, sir.”
Silence filled the room for a few moments.
“This Feng Lao.” He pronounced the name as if tasting it. “Does he know what he got his hands on?”
“Not fully. But he’s good at connecting things and coming to astute conclusions. He was clearly taught various mental techniques.”
“Interesting.”
That one word sounded both like a sentence and a chance for salvation.
Mei Lin felt a chill run down her spine. Even among the dragonblood, her mentor was known for his ruthlessness.
“Mentor...” She began cautiously.
“You’re worried about him?” His cold, appraising gaze fell on her face. He could read her like an open book. So she knew lying to him was a dangerous thing.
“Yes, mentor. He fought beside me and saved my life. But I wanted to tell you something else. He confirmed that his mentor had ordered him to steal the Diang House log and is ready to hand it over to us. With a condition.”
“He dares to give conditions to a Claw Lord. That’s very much Yu’s style. What is the condition?”
“He wants our help with destroying the Broken Seal cult. What the local hierarch told us left a big impression. The man was one of the elders of the Shadow Walkers’ guild.”
