Mrs. Zhao gestured for them to sit. The table stretched between them, cultivation manuals lined the walls of the study, giving the place a serious look.

  "Five deaths in two months," Mrs. Zhao began. She placed a scroll on the table, unrolling it to reveal sketched diagrams. "Four disciples. Then my husband."

  Leo leaned forward to examine the drawings. Each showed a human figure with the chest cavity opened, the ribcage split from within, the heart removed.

  "Consumed," Mrs. Zhao said. "We found no hearts in any of the bodies. The chest cavities were empty, the wounds self-inflicted from the inside. As if something emerged through their ribcages after they died."

  Kevin made a sound of discomfort. "That's... that's really graphic. You're saying their own hearts burst out of their chests?"

  "Something emerged. Whether it was their original hearts, transformed, or something else entirely, we cannot determine." Mrs. Zhao tapped the first diagram. "Disciple Wang. Qi Refining. Found in his quarters two months ago. No signs of struggle. Expression peaceful."

  She moved to the second. "Disciple Li. Qi Refining. Found by the eastern gardens, hidden behind a storage shed. Same wounds. Same expression."

  Third diagram. "Disciple Xu. Foundation Establishment. Found in the meditation caves. He had told no one where he was going."

  "All in secret," Shen Tianyi observed. "They sought privacy before death."

  "Or something sought privacy for them." Mrs. Zhao's finger rested on the fourth diagram. "Liu Heng. Foundation Establishment. His case was different from the rest."

  Leo studied the sketch. Same chest wounds, same peaceful expression. But Mrs. Zhao's notes in the margins indicated something unusual.

  "Liu Heng spent the hour before his death running through the sect, claiming he had achieved heavenly spiritual roots." Mrs. Zhao's voice carried the weight of someone who had heard the story too many times. "He seized disciples by the shoulders. He wept with joy. He said he could feel the Dao itself flowing through his meridians."

  "Heavenly spiritual roots do not simply fall from the sky," Shen Tianyi said, shaking his head.

  "He believed it. Completely." Mrs. Zhao rolled the scroll further. "Multiple witnesses observed him during that hour. His cultivation did appear enhanced. His Qi circulation had accelerated beyond anything his original roots should have allowed. The sect's formation masters confirmed elevated spiritual density in his immediate vicinity."

  "So something gave him a temporary boost," Leo said. "Something that made him feel like he had transcended his limits."

  "Something that killed him an hour later." Mrs. Zhao's hand moved to the fifth diagram. "My husband. Elder Zhao. Gold Core."

  The sketch showed the same wounds. Chest opened from within. Heart absent. But the expression differed from the others. Where the disciples had died peaceful, Elder Zhao's face showed something more complex. Pain and recognition mixed together, frozen at the moment of death.

  "He had been investigating the other deaths on his own," Mrs. Zhao said. "He believed he had grasped something the rest of us had overlooked. His notes mentioned the lake, and mentioned a name." She paused. "A name no one in this sect recognizes. We have searched every record in our possession."

  Kevin raised his hand like a student in class. "Quick question. How did your husband get involved in this? Was he a sect investigator?"

  Mrs. Zhao's composure flickered. "He was a man who could not stand idle while his juniors perished. The elders chose to gather more evidence before acting. My husband found such patience... unbearable."

  "And he died the same way as the others," Leo said. "Chest opened. Heart consumed."

  "The same way. But also different." Mrs. Zhao pulled out a smaller scroll, this one containing detailed observations. "All five showed signs of recent consumption before death. Something had been in their stomachs, something small and solid, recently swallowed."

  "So they all ate something, and it killed them," Shen Tianyi summarized flatly.

  "That is our current theory." Mrs. Zhao rolled the scrolls together. "We have examined the bodies. We have interviewed witnesses. We have searched every corner of these grounds. Yet the thread eludes us. We cannot find what the victims consumed, or why they were chosen."

  Leo looked out of the window at the black lake. He pointed it out. "The lake changed around the same time the deaths started."

  "Two months ago. A few days before Wang Feng was found." Mrs. Zhao followed his gaze toward the windows. "The water has always possessed unusual properties. it is the reason our ancestors planted roots in this valley. But the blackness, the stillness, the silence of all living things within it. That is new."

  "Have you investigated the lake?" Leo asked.

  Mrs. Zhao considered this. "We attempted to. But the lake resists direct investigation. Any disciple who enters the water reports... difficulty. Disorientation. Waking dreams they cannot shake."

  "They struggle to put it into words. Something about longing. Something about searching." Mrs. Zhao pressed her hands together. "Something about a person they have never met, whose face slips from memory the moment they surface. Whose absence aches like an old wound that never healed."

  Silence settled over the table. The black water visible through the windows seemed to press against the glass, patient and attentive.

  "You want us to try," Shen Tianyi said.

  "I want you to find what killed my husband and four of our disciples. The lake may hold answers. Or the truth may lie elsewhere entirely." Mrs. Zhao stood, moving toward a cabinet against the wall.

  She withdrew several jade containers, each glowing faintly with contained spiritual energy.

  "The Great Water Spirit Improving Elixir. The most valuable creation our sect possesses." She placed three containers on the table, one before each investigator.

  "This elixir enhances water-attribute spiritual roots by a measurable degree. A single dose provides permanent improvement. We have set aside adequate portions for all three of you, to be granted upon the investigation's completion."

  Kevin reached for his container, then stopped himself. "What's in it? The elixir, I mean. What are the ingredients?"

  "Proprietary methods built upon the unique spiritual properties of our sacred lake." Mrs. Zhao's response came smoothly, practiced. "The refinement process has been perfected across generations. I assure you, the elixir is safe and effective."

  Leo examined the container without touching it. The glow carried an unusual quality, something that resonated with his divine sense in a way he couldn't quite identify.

  "I would suggest the three of you collaborate," Mrs. Zhao continued. "Three pairs of eyes may catch what one pair misses."

  Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

  Shen Tianyi's gaze moved to Leo. The tension from their earlier encounter still hung between them, but something practical had entered his expression. "The widow speaks sense. Whatever grudges exist between us, they serve nothing here."

  "I have no grudge against you," Kevin said. "It wasn't us anyways."

  Shen Tianyi rolled his eyes.

  Mrs. Zhao exhaled, tension leaving her shoulders. "Then I will leave you to begin. The bodies are preserved in the eastern meditation hall. Elder Suyin can provide access to our sect records."

  The door closed behind Mrs. Zhao. Her footsteps faded down the corridor, leaving the three investigators alone with the jade containers and the view of black water.

  Shen Tianyi waited until the footsteps disappeared entirely. Then he leaned back, crossing his arms.

  "That woman is feeding us with one hand and hiding the knife with the other." His voice filled with contempt. "An elixir that enhances water spiritual roots. Liu Heng running around claiming he achieved heavenly spiritual roots. Does she think we are idiots?""

  Kevin shifted uncomfortably. "I mean, she did seem pretty forthcoming about the deaths themselves..."

  "The connection is so obvious a blind man could trace it." Shen Tianyi gestured sharply. "Their precious elixir does something to spiritual roots. One of the victims experienced a sudden, unexplained enhancement before his death. She speaks of both in the same breath and expects us not to see the thread between them?"

  Leo grinned. "I can already tell you exactly how they died. There's probably a vixen going around, charming them out of their hearts. We know Elder Zhao had a thing for young beautiful girls. I would bet all my spirit stones his body was discovered in his private bathing house."

  Shen Tianyi spat on the floor. "I knew it. Some cultivator got seduced by a demon, the demon ate him, and now his widow parades her grief while expecting us to clean up the mess."

  He stood, pushing his chair back. "I refuse to play the fool in someone else's puppet show. The reward means nothing if the investigation is rigged from the start."

  Leo laughed.

  The sound stopped Shen Tianyi mid-motion. He turned, irritation flickering across his features.

  "You find something amusing?"

  "You got tricked." Leo smiled, though his eyes stayed sharp. "You're too caught up by Mrs. Zhao's obvious flaws. You forgot why you came."

  "I came for the elixir. Which is clearly connected to the deaths. Which makes accepting it idiotic."

  "Did you though?" Leo tilted his head. "You came here for the Profundity. The thing affecting the outside world. The thing that must be something that can be seized and used."

  Shen Tianyi's expression shifted.

  "Continue."

  "Mrs. Zhao wants us to solve her murder mystery. Fine. We did that. But the real prize is understanding what happened to that lake two months ago." Leo stood, moving toward the windows. The black water reflected nothing, absorbed everything. "Something changed here. Something powerful enough to alter a sacred site that's been stable for centuries. Something that correlates with disciples dying in unusual ways."

  Kevin raised his hand again. "So we're investigating two things? The murders and the lake?"

  "They're the same thing." Leo pressed his palm against the glass. The cold seeped through, carrying that same quality of yearning he'd felt at the lake's edge. "Whatever vixen that seduced Mr. Zhao came from the water. Whatever Mrs. Zhao is hiding relates to the water. And whatever opportunity that brought all of us here..."

  "Lies in the water," Shen Tianyi finished. "You're suggesting we use the investigation as cover for our actual purpose."

  "I'm suggesting we investigate thoroughly. In order to solve the problem we need to investigate the root cause, the profundity."

  Shen Tianyi studied him for a long moment. Then he sat back down.

  "I like how you put it. Okay, I agree. Let's dig out their secrets. No wonder that idiot" he gestured at Kevin, "listens to you."

  ---

  The Pond Gazing Sect grounds spread before them, pavilions rising from manicured gardens, stone paths winding between meditation halls and cultivation chambers. Leo walked beside Shen Tianyi, their footsteps echoing against ancient flagstones.

  "Does your Iron Rhinoceros Sect have any intelligence on this place?" Leo asked, waving at the Pond Gazers.

  Shen Tianyi waved his hand dismissively. "Watchdogs. That's all they were supposed to be. The Profundity has existed here for centuries. Someone needed to monitor it, report any changes to the appropriate authorities." He paused, scanning the buildings around them. "They were supposed to alert their masters if something shifted. Send word immediately."

  "And they failed to do that."

  "Obviously." Shen Tianyi's lip curled. "Two months of deaths, a transformed lake, disciples experiencing spontaneous cultivation breakthroughs before dying horribly. And they sent word to... whom? No one. They sat on this, hoping to claim whatever emerged for themselves."

  A commotion drew their attention toward the eastern courtyard. Female disciples had gathered near a fountain, their voices carrying across the gardens. At the center of the crowd, a familiar figure gestured enthusiastically.

  Kevin stood with his La Ferrari Eclipse extended, the sleek flying treasure hovering at shoulder height. He was demonstrating something, possibly a combat technique, while the disciples watched with expressions ranging from polite confusion to amusement.

  "What is that idiot doing?" Shen Tianyi demanded.

  Leo observed for a moment. Kevin had launched into an explanation of the Eclipse's forbidden formations, his hands moving in elaborate patterns. The disciples nodded at appropriate intervals, their eyes glazing over.

  "He's a virgin," Leo said.

  Shen Tianyi's eyebrows rose. "Truly? At his age?" A note of genuine respect entered his voice. "To maintain one's primordial yang into adulthood requires extraordinary discipline. I confess, I had underestimated him. Such willpower speaks to a foundation deeper than what he shows on the surface."

  Leo smirked. "No I mean, he's a virgin, and not by choice."

  Shen Tianyi blinked. Then he burst out laughing, the sound echoing across the courtyard. Several disciples turned to look, and Kevin, noticing his audience had divided their attention, faltered mid-explanation.

  "Ah." Shen Tianyi wiped his eyes. "Ah, I see. Well. This investigation might prove simpler than anticipated."

  Leo grinned. "We could simply wait for Kevin to encounter whatever killed those disciples. After he dies, we ask him what happened, and..."

  He stopped.

  The words hung in the air between them. Leo's hand moved before conscious thought, the La Ferrari Eclipse materializing in front of him, its crimson blade humming with contained fire.

  Shen Tianyi's laughter died. He took a step back, his own weapons remaining sheathed, his hands raised slightly.

  "Easy," he said.

  Leo closed his eyes and switch to using his divine sense to perceive the world. His perspective leaped outside his body and he began to sense everything at once. He locked in on Shen Tianyi, ready to silence him at a moment's notice. Third Person Perspective.

  Shen Tianyi's composure cracked. His cultivation was higher, he was confident in his combat experience, but facing this felt life threatening. The divine sense had pressed against him from everywhere at once, even from the inside. He couldn't find an angle of approach, couldn't identify a blind spot to exploit.

  "Clones." Shen Tianyi spoke quickly, his voice steady despite the sweat beading on his forehead. "The Iron Rhinoceros Sect has already pieced it together. Your group of desperadoes operate through clones. That is precisely why pursuit was called off after the bank incident."

  Leo's blade didn't waver.

  "Use your head," Shen Tianyi continued. ""If the sect intended to eliminate you, would we have waited this long? Your technique is unusual, valuable even, but clone cultivation methods are not some great secret. The Sect Master weighed the cost of conflict and decided further pursuit was throwing good spirit stones after bad."

  The tension held for three heartbeats. Then Leo opened his eyes, and his perspective collapsed back from inhuman to human. The Eclipse lowered.

  "Your secrets are yours to keep." Shen Tianyi straightened his robes, composure returning. "I have no interest in them. As you said our eyes should be on the Profundity, nothing else."

  Leo studied him for a long moment. Then he sheathed the Eclipse.

  "If Kevin can explore everything and determine what happened," Leo said, "why do we need you? What use do you provide?"

  Shen Tianyi laughed again, though this time with an edge. "You could kill me. I won't waste breath pretending otherwise."

  He stepped closer, meeting Leo's gaze directly.

  "But if you want someone who can actually help you claim what sleeps in that lake?" He smiled. "You will not find a more useful ally in this entire province."

  "The Profundity is not some artifact sitting on a pedestal, waiting for to be claimed. It is bound to karma, to fate, to forces that care nothing for sharp blades or clever tricks." Shen Tianyi tapped his chest.

  "The Shen clan has studied such matters for generations. I am trained in reading karmic threads, the invisible connections between all things. These deaths happened months ago. The event at the lake's heart may have occurred centuries before that. Testimony is lost. Evidence has been washed clean by time. But karma?" He held up a finger. "Karma leaves traces that even a thousand years cannot erase."

  Leo considered this. The lake, the deaths, the crystallized longing, all of it carried weight beyond the physical. Something about the situation resisted straightforward investigation.

  "You're saying this karma thing is important."

  "I'm saying that without someone who understands mysticism and karma, you'll stumble through this place collecting deaths until you get lucky or give up." Shen Tianyi spread his hands. "Your clone technique lets you survive your own mistakes, but it won't help you open the doors you can't see."

  In the distance, Kevin had resumed his demonstration. The female disciples had mostly dispersed, leaving him gesturing enthusiastically at a pair of juniors who seemed too polite to escape.

  Leo watched his companion's futile efforts for a moment. Then he turned back to Shen Tianyi.

  "Fine. We work together. But what if there is only one treasure."

  "You desperadoes would never understand." Shen Tianyi explained. "Sometimes the most valuable piece isn't the actual treasure. But the history behind it."

  Leo grinned, "Professor Harrison would love to hear that."