Treasures Of Heaven And Earth

Dàilán looked up at the enormous páifāng in front of her and let herself sag onto the stone pavers of the wide, endless road, closing her eyes as her body trembled in relief.

Most of her was astonished that such a bizarre gamble had actually worked. The rest of her was metaphysically whistling and trying to pretend this was an everyday occurrence.

"Chen'er is right," she muttered to herself, "I - have - become one of those ridiculous poet sung heroines. Any moment now, a pair of handsome geniuses will appear out of nowhere to fight over my favour."

She let herself giggle at the thought and released some of the tension she had been holding since she had landed in her Grandfather's audience hall, letting a deep breath out and mentally tracing through her favourite tàijíquán form, feeling her heartbeat, Essence and breathing ease to match muscle memory, without having to make the movements.

Feeling much more centred she opened her eyes and bowed to the Heart of the Sect reverently. "Junior thanks the Senior for their benevolence."

Straightening up, she looked away from the páifāng for the first time and blinked in surprise.

Behind her, in the same positions as they had been in the audience hall - except for herself, of course - was everyone who had been present. Dàilán rubbed her eyes to make sure she was seeing correctly. Then she delicately rubbed a pinky finger in one of her ears to make sure she was hearing correctly as well.

Finally, she shook her head and turned back to the enormous gate. "Should I have specified the furniture as well, Senior?"

Feeling a slight wash of amus.e.m.e.nt and vindictive satisfaction over the low level simmer of anger that the Heart had been emitting since she had arrived was the only reply.

The young teen laughed in response and shook her head. "OK - it is funny. And it - is - nice to have everyone quiet."

She was standing facing the páifāng - while maybe ten paces behind her was the semi-circle of Elders facing away from her - arranged out over the width of the road and over the grass that stretched out endlessly on both sides of the stone surface - towards Chen'er who stood in the centre, behind where Dàilán would have been sitting or standing, if the páifāng had not quite obviously moved her to be in front of the enormous gate instead.

Behind her friend - somewhat more amusingly, a step or so in mid-air as if on an invisible dais - her Grandfather floated, sitting in the empty air as if he was still in his chair, the Head Guard standing likewise a step or so above the ground a pace behind his left shoulder.

The other Elders also seemed frozen in the moment she had called out to the Heart of the Sect - and all without any seats to support their various positions. The few that were standing, seemed to be miming - grasping or leaning on invisible chairs - as they held their last gesture or expression endlessly.

There was not a whisper of sound or movement as everyone remained locked in their last breath, posed like statues that cast no shadows, on the endless grass plain, against the soft light that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere.

"OK, that is starting to get creepy," said the young Heiress as what she was seeing sunk in. "At least no one is going to get away, be demanding explanations or trying to hurt anyone else, but…"

She rubbed her gloved hands briskly on her upper arms to ward off a sudden rush of goosebumps and looked away from the scene in an effort to catch her composure again.

Her hands paused on her arms and fell slowly to her sides. Beyond the crescent of Elders frozen in their position, a couple of li or so away to the West - assuming the páifāng was North - sat another figure, head down as if intently studying something.

Slowly, Dàilán turned on her heels, carefully looking beyond the immediate cl.u.s.ter of figures. There was another solitary figure standing up another li or so away to the South, two more - one sitting, the other standing at a similar distance to the East…

...and one last standing to the North - almost within touching distance of the páifāng, the figure's head tilted towards the group of frozen arguing figures - as if listening.

"Well. Well… well. I suppose it is a good thing I asked you to bring - everyone - observing the meeting and not just those involved in it," the young teen threw a glance up at the huge gate, "I would hope that you would have had the sense to do so regardless, though."

She walked carefully over to the one nearest to her, the one she had spotted nearly under the gate, grasping the Essence forged daggers in her sleeves and openly wielding them as she stepped closer.

"So who are these, do you think? Spies? Guards? Or something else?" she asked rhetorically as she slowly and minutely examined the man dressed in a servant's robe without touching him. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted a tiny formation tattooed on the earlobe that was tilted towards the group of Elders. "Never mind, obviously a spy."

Something made her meet the man's gaze for a miǎo and her eyes widened as she realised the eyes were focused on her - and half mad with terror - despite the lack of change in facial expression.

The Heir found herself several feet away without being consciously aware of moving, shaking in horror. "Gods," she swore, "They are aware?"

There was a puzzled sense of agreement from the Heart and Dàilán swallowed, desperately trying not to vomit.

"This is no longer amusing," she coughed. "You have to…"

She froze, realising that she could not afford to have tens of powerful Cultivators lose, some likely enemies of the Sect and probably half out of their minds with fear and anger at this point.

"Gods. Who… Chen'er!" She leapt over the semicircle of frozen bodies and rushed to her friend, praying that she would not see madness in her eyes and skidded to a stop in front of her bodyguard, heedless of her image as Heiress.

Looking anxiously at Chenli's features that were frozen in a neutral mask, she blew her breath out in relief as Chen'er's eyes met hers with reassuring steadiness and what seemed to be a hint of approval. Sheathing the daggers back in her sleeves, she hugged her friend, whispering in her ear, "So sorry, sister, I did not realise."

Dàilán straightened up and stepped back from the living statue of her best friend, turning and bowing to the páifāng before requesting, "Senior, only release those I specifically name. My Guard is safe to release - we just walked through you - remember? Release Chenli, please."

There was an audible intake of breath and Chenli's c.h.e.s.t swelled as she twitched into movement, staggering down onto one knee as her muscles shifted out of position, followed by coughing as the Heiress rushed to help her friend up, hauling on her arms.

Chenli's arms flailed furiously as she shoved Dàilán's hands away, saying something indecipherable as she staggered back upright.

"What…?" Concerned something was wrong, the young teen released her friend and took a step back, her heart in her throat as Chenli's hands came up…

...and scratched vigorously at her nose.

"I said, I deed do scratch my dose!" Chenli responded loudly, as she scratched then sighed equally loudly in relief as she dropped her hand and shook her limbs lose. "I swear I have wanted to do that for what feels like a year! Took you long enough!"

Dàilán blinked, then found herself laughing hysterically. She was unable to keep her balance and fell to the grass beside the road, rolling around with tears running down her face in equal parts merriment, relief and pain as her ribs protested.

A few times she managed to stop long enough to gasp a few breaths of air, only to realise that Chenli was sitting beside her, shoulders shaking and head between her legs as she giggled like a loon as well, which just set the young teen Heiress off again.

Eventually, the pain outweighed the laughter and she lay there, trying desperately to catch her breath and avoid laughing again. Unfortunately, the scene around her was more than enough to wash away the humour of her bodyguard's first words away.

"So, we have a problem," she said quietly to Chenli as she regained herself and sat up.

"I heard what you said to the Heart," responded her friend. "Any specific reason for the stipulation?"

"Besides the fact that everyone here is going to go absolutely insane the moment we let them lose?" asked the Heiress dryly, "and ignoring that we need to question the Elder that was trying to convince the Council they needed to see sealed reports?" She pointed out the heavyset Elder who stood with his frozen body language and facial expression conveying shiftiness even from this distance.

"Besides that," agreed Chenli, equally dryly, pushing herself to her feet and offering a hand down to her charge. Dàilán accepted it and Chenli pulled her upright - then fussed about setting her robe to rights.

"Well, if there is a question as to what he has been up to, there is definitely no question as to what - they - have been up to," Dàilán, stated firmly as she pointed out the scattered figures beyond the arc of Elders to her bodyguard.

"What…" Chenli froze as she made out what her mistress was pointing to; her expression turned black as thunder, hand going to her sword, before she paused, "We need to find out about them - before we decide to kill them - they might be guards or Monitors - doing their jobs in case something went wrong in the meeting and an alarm needed to be raised."

"I can hear the emphasis in that word. What is a Monitor?" asked the Heiress.

"They Enforce the rules on Enforcers who break them. No one likes them much and they tend to keep to themselves unless bad stuff is happening," Chenli jerked a thumb over her shoulder back up at the still frozen Sect Head and Head Guard, "You would be better off asking them about Monitors, the Head Guard is responsible for them."

"As you would be, if I became the Sect Leader," Dàilán observed and Chenli shuddered in distaste, making the sign to ward off ill luck as she replied, "Please do not remind me of that. But that means we should ask the Heart to release the Sect Leader and the Head Guard next."

Dàilán nodded in agreement, looking up at her Grandfather. "It is unlikely they are the source of the problem - they were fighting to protect the information and me. If we are wrong and either of them are traitors, they know everything already, so it is probably too late for anything to be done - they have already had plenty of chances to communicate information outside the Sect. But…"

The Heiress frowned in thought, holding up a hand to stop Chenli who had already taken a step forward "...we cannot afford to take any chances. I knew you were safe, because you had gone through the Heart with me, but we do not know for sure about either of them."

She looked upward towards the páifāng. "Senior, please, can you check the loyalty and intentions of both my Grandfather and the Head Guard towards the Sect."

There was an odd shimmer around the two figures floating in midair and they started floating towards the enormous gate, still frozen in their original positions from the audience hall. Seeing them floating along still seated, or standing behind an invisible chair, respectively - should have been amusing, but the Heiress did not feel like laughing anymore.

Beside her Chenli let out something like a groan of resignation, muttering to herself, "May as well be killed for a monkey instead of a chicken," before sighing loudly and speaking clearly:

"Mistress, please ask the Honoured Senior to check the Sect Leader and the Head Guard for anything they may not be aware of - like formations or techniques that might be forcing them to do things against the Sect against their will - even if they might not consciously be betraying the Sect."

Dàilán blinked, then frowned worriedly, "I had not considered such - Senior, please do as she asks. If they are safe, free them to help us, please." There was no discernible response as the two frozen figures disappeared beneath the arch of the páifāng, but the young Heiress bobbed her head slightly in gratitude.

Chenli shook her head in disbelief, "I - still - can not believe you can talk to the Heart...what is it like?"

Her friend waved her hands hastily in denial, "The Senior is not speaking with me, Chen'er - I can just - sort of... sense… emotions from it… sometimes? The Senior feels very angry at some of the people here - I think that is why it is holding everyone here frozen like this after I asked for its help - but it is letting me decide what to do - and I am not sure why."

Chenli tilted her head to one side, considering, "Well, the Heart has not communicated to anyone since the Founder left - and even that is just Sect legend. Then, you have no vested interests that might conflict with the Sect's, you are not involved in Sect politics and you would never work with Grass - it is hard to say who else in the Sect one could say those four things about. It probably trusts you to act impartially."

Dàilán wrinkled her nose. "I am a Guan Heir. That is a vested interest that comes in conflict with the Sect," she pointed out pragmatically.

Chenli snorted, "Lan'er - you have never done a dishonest thing in your life. If Guan or the Sect required you to act unjustly, you would leave either without a second thought. Thus - you would never act against the best interests of the Sect. That sort of principle is precisely what the Founder laid down for Knives, something some of these people seem to have forgotten or ignored entirely." Her bodyguard glared around equally at the frozen figures.

"I begin to think it was not merely loyalty that kept you at my side, instead of here," remarked the Heiress in mock astonishment.

Chenli staggered backward, faking taking a mortal blow being taken, "Oh, how my Mistress wounds me to doubt my dedication to her," she said melodramatically, pretending to swoon with a hand to her forehead. "My heart is broken…"

Dàilán laughed at her friend's antics then pointed with her chin at a pair of figures. "Grandfather and the Head Guard are back. And they appear to be unfrozen," she added as the two men started walking towards them.

Chenli winced. "How angry do you suppose they will be?"

"I should like to know how they would make different decisions in this situation," replied the young Heiress stoutly, "in fact, we are about to see what they decide to do next," she said clearly, looking at her Grandfather and the Head Guard in the eyes as they came to a stop in front of them.

Her Grandfather's eyebrows raised and he raised his hands defensively, "Peace, Granddaughter. As it happens, I agree with your decisions thus far - though I do wish you had not taken quite so long to make them."

"And I also agree with your caution, Enforcer Fuan," rumbled the Head Guard looking approvingly at Chenli, "I had not considered using the Heart to check for unknown formations - or mind warping - although I suspect it was more a lack of opportunity."

The Head Guard nodded respectfully at the Heiress, "your ability to converse with the Heart is a great advantage and asset to the Sect. It also," he looked icily at the heavyset Elder, who even frozen, seemed to ooze panic, "appears to have been extremely fortunate, for us - and unfortunate for others."

"I cannot take credit for it, Senior," responded Dàilán respectfully, "I half suspect it has something to do with my Mother's soul tablet being in the páifāng and the other half remaining lost."

Her grandfather coughed uncomfortably, blinking rapidly as he tried to hide his emotions, "Yes, I recall that from your report. Unfortunately, very little is understood about the Heart. Perhaps you will be able to add to our knowledge." He smiled, a little shakily, at the young teen, "You bring much to the Sect already - and you thought quickly back in the Audience Hall. I am proud of you, Granddaughter, as your Mother would be."

Covering her discomfort at the praise and her Grandfather's own discomfort, Dàilán bowed her acceptance as her Grandfather waved her bow away and looked quietly around at the silent tableau. "As you said Heir, we must now decide who must be examined next."

"I have an excellent candidate," rumbled the Head Guard darkly, taking a step towards the heavyset Elder, "I have a lot of questions to ask this one."

"Head Guard," interrupted Chenli, "before we ask the - Heart - to examine the Elders for betrayal, perhaps we should turn our attention to the non-Elders that the Senior brought in with us?"

The Head Guard froze in mid step. "What non-Elders?" he demanded dangerously, his head turning from side to side.

The Sect Leader snorted coldly, "Humph. I seem to recall that the Heir specified, 'everyone observing the meeting', rather than everyone in the Hall. I could not quite make out - everything - you two were discussing, when I could not move before, but I believe we have some uninvited guests?"

"Some might be Monitors," advised Chenli cautiously, pointing out the more distant figures outside the semicircle of Elders.

The Head Guard was glaring fixedly at the nearest figure, to the North near the Heart, just behind the Elders. "No," he snarled, "closed meeting - at least until the Council made a decision as to the Heir's status - with my being personally present, there was no need for it." He winced, "perhaps an over optimistic analysis in hindsight, but in this case a good thing - otherwise, there would be a full alert raised by now."

"So… then these are all definitely spies who have somehow found ways to listen to and perhaps even watch, high level and even sealed Council meetings," concluded Dàilán evenly, "I am not finding myself particularly impressed by your Sect's security at the moment. I noted a number of likely monitoring Formations leading away from the audience hall, myself."

"You noticed..." the Head Guard stared at Dàilán, then shook his head, "you will explain that later. For now… I want to look at these people before we let the Senior grill them."