A Song For The Ages

The quiet of the Runeweaver Circle's rented meeting chamber was soft, warm. Sunlight filtered gently through the alchemy hall's tinted skylights, casting colorful patterns along the smooth stone floor. Feiyin stood before the semicircle of chairs where the five other members of the circle sat, his hands folded calmly behind his back, while Mu leaned against the wall beside him, watching with a composed gaze.

Feiyin's expression was open, confident, with the faintest smile dancing on his lips. He glanced around the room, meeting each pair of eyes, Meng, Yuli, the forest elf siblings, Lirael and Auren, and finally Zayesh, the red-skinned demon. The tension in the room was subtle, not distrustful, but curious, expectant.

"I wanted to thank you all for joining us today," Feiyin began, his voice calm and steady. "This last month has shown me what we're capable of, not just as individuals, but together. Today, I'd like to take another step forward."

He reached into his storage pouch and pulled out six small porcelain vials, each sealed with a delicate strip of paper.

"This is the Spirit-Nurturing Pill," he said, walking to each member and placing one in their hands. "It bolsters the strength of the soul, sharpens focus during cultivation, and improves spiritual awareness for several days. Its effects are subtle but long-lasting."

There was a moment of stunned silence as the members inspected their gifted pill. Yuli blinked rapidly, while Lirael turned hers in her hand, the violet-sheened coating catching the light. Auren whispered something to his sister. Even Zayesh, usually quiet and aloof, stared at the vial with furrowed brows.

"You're just... giving this to us?" Meng asked, wide-eyed. "This has to be worth at least twenty points, maybe more."

Feiyin nodded. "Yes. But I'm not just giving you the pill."

He stepped back to the center of the room, letting the weight of his words settle.

"I'm offering to teach you how to make it."

Gasps escaped a few lips. Mu raised an eyebrow, though said nothing. Yuli's fingers clenched around the vial.

"This pill is a result of my own refinement path, something I crafted and improved from a flawed tier-one design. And I choose to share it with you." He let that hang for a moment before continuing. "This is a small proof of my potential, of what I can achieve, and I won't stop until I've successfully refined a product worthy of a rune. I decide to trust you all today with this gift, in the hope that our paths grow closer together."

He looked around again, letting his gaze hold theirs. "And let me be clear, this is not the only pill I can make. So even if anyone were to betray that trust, they would only be harming themselves. But I believe in building something real here. With all of you."

He had helped them through difficult obstacles in the last month, provided insight, support, and guidance. He had proven himself through action and presence, and they remembered.

Silence settled again, heavy and contemplative.

Lirael was the first to speak. "You're... serious about this."

"I am."

"You'd really trust us with a formula you developed yourself?" asked Meng, voice quiet but eyes sharp.

"I do," Feiyin said. "Because without trust, there is no foundation for a circle like ours. Unless you'd prefer we use the sect's style of doing things."

They all flinched.

Feiyin gave them a wry smile. "We're not that kind of group. And I don't intend to ever walk the path of those who rule by fear."

It was Auren who exhaled next, his elven features thoughtful. "...Then we'll protect it. I'll swear it, if needed."

"No oaths are required. Just make your choice," Feiyin replied.

A pause, and then, one by one, each of them nodded.

Yuli clutched the vial with both hands. "Thank you. I never thought someone in this sect would do something like this."

Feiyin smiled gently. "Then let's keep proving each other wrong in good ways."

He stepped back and spoke again.

"There's more. I don't plan to stay a third-class disciple for long. I'll soon be stepping into the Qi Flow phase. That will allow me to control my essence qi externally, and that means more advanced alchemy, more refined products."

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"And more demand," Lirael muttered, eyes widening.

"Exactly," Feiyin said. "Which we can leverage. Together. We can offer specialized products to other factions, not for free, of course. In exchange, we gain access. Resources. More points. More cultivation grounds."

Mu finally spoke from his place at the wall. "Feiyin's been refining the pills that got us access to the molten cave. We've been working on securing stable channels, and we succeeded."

Meng looked wary. "How? Isn't that something only higher-ranked factions can hold onto?"

Feiyin's smile was steady. "It wasn't easy. We arranged a deal with the Crimson Heart Faction, thirty pills a month in exchange for shared use of one of their cultivation chambers in the molten cave."

Yuli's eyes widened. "Wait, they actually agreed to that?"

"They did," Feiyin said. "I used Deacon Yun's token to show we had support, and then proved our worth by refining one of the pills in front of them."

"And they just let you walk away?" Zayesh asked skeptically.

Feiyin chuckled, his tone calm but confident. "They tested the pill with one of their own third-class disciples, of course. We waited as they watched its effects unfold. When it worked, they knew we weren't bluffing."

Yuli slowly nodded. "And with more of us able to refine it... that ensures supply and protection."

"Exactly," Feiyin said. "Which is why I'll teach those of you who specialize in pill refinement how to make it yourselves. We'll all contribute. I expect to break through in the next month or two, just enough time for you to become comfortable with the recipe and refine it yourselves. Once I advance, we'll expand. Offer supply to more factions, gain more allies, claim more territory and access."

Lirael raised her head. "You plan on sharing more in the future, too?"

Feiyin nodded. "The next one will be for tool refining. If we grow, we grow together."

Discussion sparked to life then, questions arose not just about roles or production, but about the new pill itself. Yuli asked about the precise temperature required to stabilize the mixture, while Meng wondered whether a variant ingredient could still hold the pill's potency.

Feiyin answered calmly, sometimes posing questions back to push their thinking, letting others speak freely. It was no longer just a meeting of convenience, it was a growing web of minds, bound not by strict hierarchy, but by mutual pursuit. The Circle was beginning to feel like a real circle, not just a gathering.

By the end of the meeting, the vials had been pocketed, and they were all discussing schedules and practice sessions. Trust wasn't just a word anymore, it had begun to take shape.

Later, after the others had left the chamber, Mu and Feiyin walked side by side in the empty garden courtyard behind the building. Pale moonlight bathed the stone paths.

"Was that a good idea?" Mu asked quietly.

Feiyin chuckled. "You're the one who brewed the tea that previously sealed the deal."

Mu gave a half-smile. "Still. That's a lot of trust to place in them."

Feiyin's gaze remained on the stars above. "I can sense where their emotions lie. And even if I couldn't... to grow, trust is always going to be a crucial step. Unless we use something despicable like the sect's parasite system. Which we never will."

Mu nodded. "Fair."

Feiyin continued, "And besides, this is the perfect time to test them. The recipe I gave is valuable, but it's also replaceable. If they prove unworthy, I won't repeat the mistake. But if they stay loyal... then we've planted the roots of something far more powerful than a faction."

Mu tilted his head. "That sounds like another of your mother's teachings."

Feiyin smiled, and this time it was different, softer, brighter.

"She taught me that the human heart is fickle. But loyalty, if nurtured properly, can be one of the strongest bonds in the world."

Mu's expression softened. "Your mother sounds like a refined lady. You always mention her fondly. I'd love to meet her someday."

Feiyin looked at him, eyes warm.

"I'd be glad to have you meet her. And my father. Yue and Ren too."

Mu chuckled, his voice low. "My father would like you. He's strict, but... he respects strong minds."

"To bring and meet our families together," Feiyin said, lifting his gaze back to the stars. "That would be wonderful indeed."

Mu nodded slowly.

Feiyin smiled wider. "Good. That's another goal we can add to the list."

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Back in his room, Feiyin sat cross-legged on a cushion, Bai Yu coiled gently around his legs like a watchful guardian. The moonlight spilled in through the windows, casting soft silver trails across the wooden floor.

"You know," he said quietly, looking down at the white snake resting beside him, "today went well. I think they really understood what I was trying to do."

Bai Yu lifted her narrow head, flicking her tongue toward him as if in agreement, before nuzzling the side of his face with cool scales.

Feiyin chuckled, reaching up to stroke her smooth head with affection. "I know. I missed this too."

He exhaled softly, his expression turning warm. "The modified version of the Spirit-Nurturing Pill is nearly complete. Just a few more adjustments, and you'll be ready. You'll open your mind's eye... form your essence qi... even awaken your beast core."

Bai Yu let out a low, rumbling trill that vibrated through her body, and she twined more closely around him. The emotion she radiated, deep trust, pride, and anticipation, tugged gently at his heart through their bond.

Feiyin smiled tenderly. "You've been there through everything. When I was weak, when I was lost, you never left. You've always been my family, whether we said it or not. But it's time to make it official."

He placed a hand on her head, resting it with care. "From today onward, your name is Cai Baiyu. You bear my family name now. You're one of us."

Baiyu responded by lifting her head proudly, wrapping her long body around his shoulders, and pressing her cool snout to his forehead in a gesture of pure affection. She flicked her tongue across his cheek, and he felt her joy pulse through their bond, clear, bright, and full.

Feiyin closed his eyes, savoring the moment. "Cai Baiyu," he repeated, his voice full of warmth. "My family."