Sect Mistress Meng Yao returns to the council of elders, her steps measured and her expression carefully neutral. The elders await her in the austere chamber, their faces etched with concern after the recent demonic attack. They rise as she enters, their eyes seeking answers.
"Grand Elders, esteemed elders," Meng Yao begins, her voice carrying the weight of her position. "I have spoken at length with Lord Alaric Steele."
Elder Shuyun, her silver hair intricately woven with jade ornaments, speaks first. "Sect Mistress, what news does he bring? Is the alliance he offered genuine? Can this outsider truly be trusted with the secrets of our sect?"
Meng Yao nods slowly. "His alliance is genuine, Elder Shuyun. His power… it is undeniable. You saw yourselves the ease with which he dispatched the demons at our gate, and later at the guest palace. He erected a barrier of immense power, one that even now repels the lingering demonic presence."
