“Young Master Yao and his mother, Disciple Luoyin.”

Yao felt nervous as he and his mother stepped into the tea room of his aunt’s home, his heart pounding his chest. He had fallen asleep during his mother’s story and when he had woken up early in the morning, the maids told him his mother was waiting for him so they could go to his aunt’s house. 

She was not wearing her usual fancy dresses, but was something far simpler: trousers that tucked neatly into worn boots, and a fitted tunic that laced at the side. The sleeves were rolled to her elbows, and the fabric looked travel-worn, faintly dusted at the hem and knees. For once, he could see her marks clearly, and noticed they were a four-pointed star with equal arms on the inside of her forearms. 

He tried not to stare. She hadn’t explained the change, and he hadn’t asked. The maids dressed him in a similar outfit and his mother gave him a small bun to eat as they walked toward his aunt’s home. 

Now, as they knelt on the cushions in the tea room, Yao noticed Wei and his father seated across from him. Their robes were deep grey softened by black, with subtle threads of pale green that shimmered when they shifted. Beside them sat a man Yao did not recognize, dressed in robes of striking color: red that caught the eye, with pale cream sleeves and a dark blue sash. His aunt was present, sipping calmly from her cup, but Yao noticed that there was also something off with her movements. He did not expect the marks on his hand to matter this much, and the fact it did scared him even more. 

“This disciple greets their masters.” His mother’s voice was calm, and Yao bowed his head as she bowed hers. All he had to do was answer questions and nod. That’s what she had promised. 

“Show us the mark.” the unknown man was the first one to speak, and Yao clenched his hands. It wasn’t until his mother gently touched his leg that Yao relaxed slightly and he slowly showed his palms. Both men leaned forward to examine his hand, but he noticed that Wei didn’t. The boy sat straight, his eyes pointedly avoiding Yao’s as he rested his hands on his knees, fingers curled inward. It was then Yao realized he could see the ink-like marks on the outside of Wei’s wrists, a square enclosing a perfect circle. 

“When did they appear?”

“My… my birthday,” Yao managed, trying to swallow his nervousness. His mother had spent the walk over letting him know the question they would ask him, but it did very little to soften the knot that had taken root in his stomach. He was too aware of the way the room watched him, how the air felt heavier the longer he stayed silent.

“When did you learn about them?”

“Yesterday,” his mother spoke calmly and Yao quickly closed his hands, unable to help as he once again dug his fingers into his palm. How could she be so calm? Why wasn’t she angry with him? “He apparently heard about cultivation from Young Master Wei at his birthday and was afraid to show me.”

“Expected. Wei should know when to speak and when to stay silent.” Master Taiheng’s voice was calm and Yao noticed as Wei flinched. He now understood why the older boy had said he wished his father said cruel things. “And his father?”

“A merchant away on a trip. He will return soon for a visit.”

“We will need to confirm the father’s lineage. The mark seems fine, but one can never be too careful with corrupted marks.” The unknown man spoke again, and Yao noticed as his mother bowed her head. “Until then, his training will be solely focused on stabilizing his physical fitness. Qi absorption if it becomes necessary, but he should not learn any further until we confirm his mark isn’t corrupted.”

“Understood, Ascendant Lingyao.”

“Yao.” Yao flinched as Wei’s father said his name, unable to help the way his heart leapt into his throat. He did not want Master Taiheng’s attention. “Do you know who I am?”

“You… are the head of the main family.” Yao answered, repeating what he had heard his mother say dozens of times. “My auntie answers to you.”

“Anything else?”

“No?” Yao felt tears start in his eyes. Why were they asking so many questions? “That’s all I know.”

“Then I will send Instructor Quan. The boy needs to learn more about his own sect.” Master Taiheng’s voice was final and Yao noticed as his mother bowed her head again. He didn’t like how quiet she had become. She sat beside him without any tension in her limbs, yet something about her seemed distant, as though her thoughts had pulled away from the room entirely.

Yao glanced down at his hands, ashamed of how tightly he was gripping his own fingers. His palms were clammy, the mark on his right hand burning faintly as though someone had drawn hot ink across his skin. He wondered if the others could feel their marks the way he could; pulsing with every heartbeat, tightening like a warning. 

“After the father’s lineage is confirmed, both of you will return to the main estate.” Master Taiheng spoke again as he took a sip of tea, and Yao noticed as both his mother and his aunt jumped at the same time. If either man noticed, they didn’t react. “I have let you linger too long here and since your son is also marked, there is no need for this.”

“But there is no guarantee the child will reach his mother’s level.” His aunt spoke for the first time, and Yao noticed the worry in her eyes. “He may never pass Golden Core.”

“Then he will return and she will remain. I–”

“No.”

His mother’s voice was calm as she spoke, and Yao was still staring down at his hands when he heard it. It was not loud. Not angry. Just… still. The room silenced all at once. Even the rustle of silk as his aunt shifted on her cushion came to an abrupt stop.

“No?” Master Taiheng echoed, his voice no less calm than hers, though there was something sharpened beneath it now. “You forget yourself, Disciple Luoyin.”

“I remember myself perfectly, Master Taiheng,” she said, and Yao glanced up to see her straightening her spine without any flourish or apology. “I will not allow you to traumatize my child for the sake of your own desires. I do not have to return unless my son has a guardian. A guardian he would not have if we both went and he was sent back alone.”

“Your sister–”

“Cannot cultivate and no one else here can.” His mother interrupted again, and even Yao could see that Master Taiheng was grinding his teeth behind the serene curve of his teacup. His mother’s words had not been loud, but they struck with a clarity that no one in the room could ignore. 

“What do you suggest, Disciple Luoyin?” It was the one his mother called Ascendant Lingyao who spoke next and Yao took the chance to really look at the man. He was seated beside Master Taiheng, his robes layered in plain stone-gray with accents of deep ochre that reminded Yao of the mountain paths outside the estate walls. His hair was bound high, though some silver streaked through the roots, and his expression, while calm, held no warmth. Yao couldn’t tell if it was better or worse than the thinly veiled contempt in Master Taiheng’s voice.

“We both stay here, as it would normally be when a child is marked in a branch family.” His mother inclined her head to Ascendant Lingyao in a show of respect, though Yao noticed she did not lower her gaze. “Then if he reaches the level I have, we can both move to the main house for continued training and tribulation.”

“And if he does not?”

“Then that gives me time to reach out to the Hanyu branch and request one of their cultivators be his guardian. Their branch more reliably has marked individuals even if they do not all move to the main branch.” She spoke with the same composed tone, and yet something beneath it rang with steel. “By the time his aptitude is confirmed, I will have made the needed arrangements.”

No one responded at first. A hush settled again over the tea room, broken only by the soft clink of porcelain as Ascendant Lingyao returned his teacup to the tray. His eyes remained fixed on her, unreadable, while Master Taiheng’s silence felt heavier than anything he had yet said.

Yao’s aunt shifted once more, as if preparing to speak, but stopped herself. Her hand gripped her sleeve tightly, knuckles paling beneath the thin silk. It was as if she understood she had no say in this situation and Yao felt his own nervousness growing. What did they mean, separated from his mother? What did Golden Core mean? What did any of this mean?

“A sound suggestion. After all, it is the way it is usually handled, even if the situation is a bit unorthodox,” Ascendant Lingyao finally spoke, chuckling softly as he addressed Master Taiheng. “It seems she suggests the better way, Zhiyao.”

Master Taiheng’s jaw tensed, but he said nothing. Yao could feel the air tighten around him, like the last moment before a thunderclap. Wei still hadn’t looked up. His posture remained stiff, and his hands now clenched so tightly against his knees that the tips of his fingers had gone white.

“It is inefficient,” Master Taiheng said, gaze cutting toward Yao like a blade. “But if the Ascendant accepts it, I will not object.”

“It is accepted,” Lingyao replied.

Only then did Yao’s mother exhale, her shoulders softening almost imperceptibly as she lowered her head in a final bow. “This one thanks her masters.”

Yao felt his own lungs loosen. The mark on his palm pulsed once, then quieted, as if it too had waited for the decision to land. He looked toward his mother, trying to understand the firm way she held herself now, how she could stand in front of people like Master Taiheng and not waver even once. It frightened him, but it also pulled at something else in his chest. Something warm and aching that he didn’t know how to name.

“Then it is settled,” the man laughed, rising slowly to his feet. “Although I will admit, I sense this child will not disappoint. I did not think such a young Initiate would come from the dry Luoyin branch but it seems you were wise not to prune the tree too soon. Perhaps the other families could learn from your example.”

“Thank you, Ascendant,” Master Taiheng bowed his head, but even Yao could hear the frustration underneath. He didn’t understand what was going on, his knees hurt and he wanted to leave the room more than anything. He wanted his mother to take him to his room and finish the story from the day before. He wanted her to hold his hand and tell him the mark didn’t mean anything, that everything would stay the same.

But nothing felt the same now.

“Wei,” Master Taiheng said, rising from his cushion as the other man left. Wei remained wordless as he stood, but Yao noticed the wary look in the boy's eyes. He wanted to say something, but something in his churning stomach told him words would only make things worse. Soon it was only him, his mother and his aunt left in the room, and he noticed as his aunt moved first. 

“Jie–”

“Don’t, Yin.” his mother answered, finally rising from her own cushion as Yao did the same. “It is what it is.”

“Is that merchant really his father?” His aunt’s words made Yao frown and he looked up at his mother, whose expression was as calm as ever. “It would be a problem if they find out he isn’t.”

“Of course he is. Why else would he come to visit and send such nice gifts?” His mother finally smiled and Yao easily took her hand as she offered it to him. “A man does not do that for a child not his.”

“Then why won’t you marry him? Why do you insist on continuing to make things difficult?” His aunt continued and Yao noticed as his mother sighed. She seemed to purse her lips for a moment, but it passed as soon as it came. “I’m just worried for you, Jie.”

“You always are, Yin, but I can handle myself.” His mother turned to exit the room and Yao glanced back at his aunt, who was watching them with a slight frown. 

“I always have.”