Chapter 132: No Need to Guess

The Francis patriarch summoned the grand elder, two senior family members, and the administrator responsible for their larger businesses after receiving confirmation that Joe Vale had returned to Blackwood. The reports contained little beyond his arrival with Serena Montclair and two guards, followed by a private meeting with the magistrate. Several Vale administrative applications had also proceeded more smoothly afterward, although Serena's presence could explain that without requiring any special intervention from Joe.

The patriarch had already reviewed the earlier records concerning the younger Vale brother. "What was the last cultivation we could confirm before he left Blackwood?" he asked the administrator.

"Muscle Tempering, Patriarch. We continued receiving reports about Simon because of his workshop and marriage connections, but Joe kept most of his training private even before leaving for Ashbourne."

The grand elder had also examined those records. He was among the strongest martial artists in Blackwood, and his long experience gave his assessment considerable weight within the family. "He should have reached Bone Tempering by now. With Montclair's resources, Internal Organs is possible, though I would not assume it without evidence. He was talented when he left, but several years of favorable cultivation conditions can produce very different results depending on the individual."

The patriarch accepted the estimate. Montclair could provide medicines and inheritances that the Francis family would struggle to obtain, but advancing through the higher stages of bodily tempering remained difficult. Even the grand elder had spent decades reaching his present cultivation. The possibility that Joe had crossed Internal Organs did not arise during their discussion.

More pressing was the dispute involving Harlan and those who had supported him. Montclair had already judged the people responsible, and Francis had accepted the penalties. The family had also instructed its branches to leave Simon's household undisturbed. However, Joe had been in Ashbourne when the matter was settled, and the patriarch did not know whether he personally considered the punishment sufficient.

"We should visit him while he is here," the patriarch decided. "The people responsible have been punished, but that does not tell us whether Joe Vale still holds a grievance against Francis. I would rather hear his position directly than leave the question unsettled."

The grand elder agreed. The patriarch would accompany him with the business administrator, while a household guard remained with their carriage. They would request a private meeting at the Vale residence rather than invite Joe to the Francis compound.

Their letter reached Simon the following morning. Joe was reviewing anatomical notes in the rear study when his brother brought him the invitation and explained that the Francis patriarch and grand elder wished to visit the following afternoon.

Joe read the letter before setting it aside. "Tomorrow is suitable. Receive them here, and attend the meeting with me. If they want to discuss the workshop or the family's local affairs, you should be present."

Simon asked whether Serena should also attend. Joe saw no reason to exclude her, particularly when Francis already knew she had accompanied him from Ashbourne. Serena subsequently cleared the afternoon from his schedule and made the necessary arrangements without involving herself in the substance of the meeting.

The Francis carriage arrived shortly before the appointed hour. Joe came into the courtyard to receive his guests, greeting the patriarch and grand elder with the courtesy owed to men of their age and standing. He welcomed the administrator afterward and accompanied them into the larger sitting room, where Simon was already waiting.

The patriarch took the seat offered to him, while the grand elder settled beside him. Serena occupied a place farther down the table, leaving the discussion to the two families unless her involvement became necessary. Joe's composed reception eased some of the patriarch's concerns. The young man had acquired the manners expected among Ashbourne's established households, but he showed no desire to emphasize his connection to Montclair or place his older guests at a disadvantage.

Once the servants had withdrawn after serving tea, the patriarch addressed the purpose of his visit.

"Master Vale, I would prefer to settle the affair involving Harlan before discussing anything else. Francis accepted Montclair's judgment and carried out the penalties imposed on those responsible. Our branches have also been instructed not to trouble Simon or his household. However, you were absent when those decisions were made. If you believe Francis still owes your family an explanation or compensation, I would rather hear it from you directly."

Joe had already received the relevant reports. Simon and Mira had suffered no further harassment, and the people responsible had been punished. He had no reason to demand another settlement from relatives who had not participated in the original offense.

"The judgment was carried out, and my brother has had no further trouble from Francis," he replied. "I won't hold the rest of your family responsible for actions that have already been punished. As long as the settlement continues to be respected, I consider the affair finished."

The patriarch examined Joe briefly before inclining his head. He had prepared for a more difficult conversation, and the answer allowed him to proceed without reopening the original accusations. "Then Francis will continue honoring the settlement. I appreciate your willingness to put the affair behind us."

They moved on to the relationship between their households. The patriarch asked whether Joe's return would bring any changes to Vale's commercial activities in Blackwood, particularly now that the workshop had expanded its operations.

"My work remains in Ashbourne," Joe answered. "Simon manages our businesses here, including the workshop and its contracts. I don't intend to change those arrangements during this visit."

Simon explained that the workshop would continue expanding where demand justified it. Several suppliers had approached him about larger contracts, but he intended to develop existing production rather than enter unrelated trades. The Francis family remained a competitor in certain areas, and he expected that competition to continue through ordinary commercial dealings.

The administrator had brought documents concerning two unresolved contracts. He placed them on the table and began explaining the relevant terms, but the discussion had barely progressed when the grand elder addressed Joe. The old man had observed him throughout the meeting. Joe's posture was relaxed, his breathing even, and his movements showed none of the minor habits that usually helped an experienced martial artist estimate another practitioner's level. The grand elder could not determine whether Joe had reached Bone or Internal Organs, despite examining him from only a few paces away.

"Master Vale, when you left Blackwood, I understood that you were still in Muscle Tempering. Several years in Ashbourne must have brought considerable advancement. If you do not object to the question, may I ask your present cultivation?"

Joe had already disclosed his public realm to the magistrate and Simon. He saw no reason to encourage Francis to maintain an estimate that would soon prove inaccurate.

"Mid Acquired," he answered. The grand elder's fingers stopped moving against the arm of his chair. For a moment, he remained perfectly still, his gaze fixed on Joe. The patriarch turned toward him, expecting some indication that he had misunderstood the answer, but the old man's expression offered none.

"Mid Acquired?" the grand elder finally asked. His voice remained controlled, although the question escaped before he could conceal his disbelief.

Joe confirmed the realm without elaboration. The grand elder had prepared himself for the possibility of Internal Organs, an achievement that would already place Joe among Blackwood's strongest martial artists. Even Early Acquired lay beyond the limits of his experience. Mid Acquired at Joe's age was so far outside his expectations that he struggled to reconcile the claim with the young man seated before him. The patriarch noticed his expression and felt his own unease deepen. He possessed enough martial knowledge to understand the cultivation hierarchy, but he relied on the grand elder to judge the practical strength behind those realms. The old man's silence concerned him more than the answer itself.

Joe recognized their disbelief. He had encountered similar reactions after revealing his earlier advancements, although the magistrate's response had been more restrained. Rather than prolong the uncertainty, he decided to provide confirmation. He released a controlled portion of his Acquired aura, directing it across the Francis side of the table.

The grand elder reacted before he could think. Decades of martial conditioning drove his Blood Energy through its familiar pathways, preparing his body to withstand the approaching pressure. The circulation had barely begun when Joe's aura settled over him. His chest tightened, and the energy moving through his internal organs stopped abruptly. He attempted to strengthen the circulation, drawing on the control he had developed through years of cultivation. The second effort met a feeling of despair. His Blood Energy remained within his body, but it would not respond as he intended. For the first time in many years, the grand elder was genuinely frightened. His shoulders stiffened, and his breathing became shallow and irregular. A thin line of perspiration appeared near his temple, then another along his forehead. His body continued urging him to resist, but every attempt confirmed that resistance was beyond him.

The patriarch experienced the pressure indirectly. He possessed considerably less martial strength, and his body offered no meaningful defense. His chest grew tight, his mouth dried, and the muscles across his back contracted involuntarily. He tried to draw a deeper breath but managed only a short inhalation before stopping. His hand remained beside his teacup, fingers slightly curved, though he could no longer bring himself to lift it.

The administrator had been holding the two contract papers when the aura reached him. His fingers tightened until the sheets bent beneath his grip. A trembling began in his hands and gradually spread through his arms, while his thoughts became occupied with the immediate need to remain seated and breathe. He could hear the faint movement of clothing across the table, yet he could not bring himself to turn his head.

Only a few seconds passed.

Joe withdrew his aura as soon as he had demonstrated the difference in their cultivation. The grand elder's Blood Energy resumed its circulation, but the restoration brought little immediate relief. His breathing remained uneven, and he had to concentrate before he could release the tension from his shoulders. He had resisted powerful martial artists before, including opponents whose strength exceeded his own, but those encounters had always allowed him some control over his response. This time, his years of training had offered nothing.

The patriarch took a slow breath and discovered that his hands were still trembling. He reached for his teacup, noticed the movement, and adjusted the saucer instead. The administrator lowered his papers carefully onto the table, keeping his hands close together until the shaking subsided.

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Simon had felt none of the pressure. Joe had directed it entirely toward their guests, leaving his brother and Serena unaffected. Nevertheless, Simon had watched the grand elder's Blood Energy rise and collapse before the old man could establish a defense. He had seen the patriarch struggle to breathe and the administrator lose control of his hands. Until that moment, he had understood Joe's advancement through the names of cultivation realms and comparisons with Blackwood's strongest practitioners. The scene before him gave those comparisons a meaning he had never experienced.

Serena remained composed, although she watched the Francis delegation carefully. She had witnessed Joe's earlier demonstrations and understood that he had released only a controlled portion of his strength. The severity of their reactions was nevertheless greater than she had anticipated.

Joe had also underestimated the effect. His own Foundation had been extraordinary long before reaching Acquired, and he had never experienced the higher realms from the position of an ordinary martial artist. He had intended to confirm his cultivation, not leave his guests struggling to recover from a brief demonstration.

The grand elder finally raised his head. His breathing had steadied, but the ease with which he had entered the residence was gone.

"Mid Acquired," he said quietly. This time, the words carried no uncertainty.

The patriarch looked toward him and received a slight inclination of the head. He needed no further explanation. Francis had relied on the grand elder and several other senior martial artists for decades, trusting their strength to protect the family when wealth, negotiations, and political relationships proved insufficient. He had just watched the strongest of those protections fail without putting up any resistance.

Worse, Joe had released the pressure without rising from his chair.

The patriarch understood that no guard stationed outside the sitting room could have changed what had happened. The family's compound, defensive arrangements, and strongest practitioners would offer no protection against someone who could suppress the grand elder so completely. Joe had shown restraint, but that restraint belonged entirely to him. Francis possessed no means of compelling it.

Harlan's old affair returned to the patriarch's thoughts with renewed force. He had come hoping to ensure that a resolved grievance remained buried. Now he understood what the family might have faced if Joe had returned determined to pursue it. He straightened his posture and addressed Joe again, carefully controlling his voice. "Master Vale, I appreciate your confirmation. Regarding the earlier affair, Francis has carried out every punishment required by Montclair, and our branches have received clear instructions concerning your household. I give you my personal assurance that those instructions will continue to be enforced."

Joe noticed the effort behind the patriarch's composure. The man's earlier confidence had disappeared, replaced by a caution that affected even his choice of words. "I have already accepted the settlement," Joe replied. "Harlan and those responsible were punished. I won't trouble the rest of Francis over their actions, and I have no intention of interfering with your businesses. I expect our families to continue dealing with each other properly."

The patriarch inclined his head more deeply than before. "You have my word, Master Vale. I will make certain that every branch understands its responsibilities."

Joe turned the discussion back toward the commercial documents that remained on the table. He did not want the administrator to surrender legitimate terms merely because the family had learned his cultivation. "Simon will continue managing our contracts. Francis should do the same. Ordinary competition doesn't require my involvement, and I don't want your merchants changing agreements out of fear that I might object."

The administrator looked at the papers before him but made no attempt to resume the negotiation. His hands had steadied, yet the memory of the pressure remained fresh enough that he could barely concentrate on the figures he had prepared. He glanced toward the patriarch, waiting for guidance.

Simon recognized the difficulty and intervened before the discussion became more uncomfortable. "Bring the documents to the workshop tomorrow. We've already been negotiating these contracts, and there's no reason to settle them here. Your administrator and I can examine the terms without involving my brother."

The patriarch agreed immediately. "That would be appropriate. Francis will maintain its existing position until the negotiations resume. The administrator can meet you at the workshop tomorrow morning."

The arrangement allowed the discussion to continue without forcing either household into concessions made under the influence of the demonstration. Simon collected his own papers and set them aside, while Serena recorded the appointment without commenting on what had occurred.

The meeting never recovered its earlier ease. The grand elder spoke little, and the patriarch considered each response before giving it. Even the ordinary act of lifting a teacup seemed to demand more concentration than before. Joe did not attempt to relieve their anxiety through repeated assurances. He had already stated his position clearly, and their fear would not disappear merely because he continued speaking.

Before leaving, the patriarch raised one final subject. He intended to instruct the family's branches that disputes involving Vale workers, suppliers, or household members must be handled through commercial negotiations or the town administration. No relative or dependent would be permitted to invoke Francis martial strength in an ordinary disagreement.

Simon accepted the same standard for Vale. "If one of our workers creates a problem, bring it to me. We'll handle the complaint properly. I don't want people using the family name to interfere with ordinary business."

The patriarch agreed and then asked whether Joe's current cultivation was already widely known in Blackwood. Joe explained that the magistrate and Simon knew, while Serena had sent the necessary notice to Ashbourne. No other local family had received confirmation.

"Francis will not circulate what we've learned today," the patriarch assured him. "I would prefer that our branches continue their affairs without unnecessary speculation until the information becomes public through the appropriate channels."

Joe thanked him for his discretion and accompanied the delegation into the courtyard. He offered the same courtesy he had shown on their arrival, seeing them to the waiting carriage before returning inside. The patriarch acknowledged the farewell with considerable respect. The grand elder bowed slightly, though his gaze remained lowered longer than it had when they first met. Their administrator entered the carriage behind them and sat with his hands folded over the documents he had brought. Only after the carriage had passed through the gate did Simon return to the sitting room.

He looked toward the chair where the grand elder had sat. The teacup remained untouched, and the administrator had left a faint crease across one of the papers when his fingers tightened during the demonstration. "When you told me you had reached Mid Acquired, I understood that you were stronger than the grand elders," Simon said. "But I've known those men for years. I've watched people become nervous merely because one of them entered a room. I never imagined Grand Elder Francis could be so frightened."

Joe sat down beside him. He had noticed Simon studying the delegation throughout the meeting and understood that his brother was reconsidering the strength of people he had once regarded as nearly untouchable. "Acquired Energy is fundamentally stronger than Blood Energy," Joe explained. "The grand elder has cultivated for decades, but the difference in their quality is too great for him to resist directly. What you saw was a controlled demonstration."

Simon examined his brother for a moment before looking back at the empty chair. He had not felt the pressure himself, and he knew Joe had deliberately excluded him. Even so, the grand elder's failed resistance remained vivid in his memory. "He knew what was happening and still couldn't stop it," Simon said. "The patriarch saw that too. I don't think he'll ever negotiate with our family the same way again."

Joe agreed that the relationship would change, although he preferred that Simon continue handling ordinary business according to its merits. The family's improved standing would attract favorable offers, but some of those offers would come from people unwilling to refuse them. Simon considered the contracts scheduled for the following morning. "Then I'll have to watch which terms Francis actually wants to offer. If they surrender every point because they're afraid of you, I won't know whether the agreement is any good."

"Judge the business itself," Joe advised. "Accept favorable terms when they serve the workshop, but don't build our operations around concessions that only exist because someone is frightened. You already know how to manage these negotiations."

Simon took the advice seriously. He had spent years developing the workshop through careful decisions, and Joe's advancement had not diminished the value of that experience. His family's strength had increased beyond anything he had imagined, but the contracts, workers, and suppliers still required competent management.

The Francis carriage reached its compound before dusk. The patriarch went directly to the inner council room with the grand elder and administrator, dismissed the servants, and ordered the doors closed. Neither man spoke while the attendants withdrew. Once they were alone, the administrator finally asked the question that had occupied him throughout the journey. "Grand Elder, was that truly Mid Acquired?"

The grand elder lowered himself into a chair. His Blood Energy had recovered long before they reached the compound, but the helplessness of those few seconds remained difficult to dismiss. "It was Acquired Energy, without question. Whether he is Mid Acquired or stronger, I have no means of judging. My cultivation is too far below his. I tried to establish my circulation twice, and he suppressed it before I could complete either attempt. He was restraining himself throughout."

The patriarch had expected that answer, though hearing it from the family's strongest practitioner made the danger more immediate. "If he had come here intending to destroy Francis, could any of our people have stopped him?"

The grand elder answered after a brief silence. "No. I couldn't defend myself against the pressure he released while seated. Our guards and martial artists would offer even less resistance. If he were determined to attack this household, we would have no means of confronting him directly."

The patriarch rested both hands on the table and remained silent. He had spent decades protecting Francis through wealth, cultivation, marriages, alliances, and careful relations with the town administration. He had believed those protections sufficient against any threat likely to arise within Blackwood. Harlan's conduct had already forced the family to accept punishment from Montclair, but until that afternoon, the patriarch had never fully understood what might have happened if Joe had returned with an unresolved grievance.

The young man had treated them courteously. He had accepted their apology and confirmed that the matter was finished. Yet the patriarch could still remember the moment his breathing tightened and his own body stopped responding normally. He had been unable to lift his teacup while sitting across from someone who had made no effort to harm him. The grand elder's helplessness had been worse. The patriarch had relied on that man's strength for most of his adult life, and the memory of his failed resistance would not leave him.

After a long silence, he turned toward the administrator. "Bring me the records of serious complaints involving our branches and dependent households. I want cases where property was surrendered under pressure, compensation was demanded through martial strength, or someone used the Francis name to threaten a weaker family. Include disputes settled privately, particularly those that never reached the magistrate."

The administrator looked up. "Should I begin with complaints connected to Vale?"

"Begin with those, but review the others as well. Harlan nearly created a grievance that could have destroyed this household. We only discovered the extent of his actions after Montclair intervened. I won't allow our relatives to create another enemy while the senior family remains ignorant of what they're doing."

The grand elder agreed. He had spent years believing that the family's strength could resolve most local conflicts, but Joe's demonstration had exposed the limits of that protection. Several Francis branches had grown accustomed to relying on the family's reputation, and some dependents had used that reputation without proper authority.

The patriarch instructed the administrator to examine unresolved settlements and complaints from the previous several years, beginning with the branches most frequently involved in commercial disputes. He wanted to know whether compensation had been imposed fairly and whether weaker families had been pressured into surrendering claims they could not defend. Before dismissing him, the patriarch added another instruction. "Joe Vale's cultivation remains within this room. Do not explain the review by telling the branches what happened today. Some will panic, and others will attempt to conceal their conduct. Examine the records first and bring me the findings." The administrator accepted the order and left for the records room.

The patriarch remained seated with the grand elder, listening to the footsteps fade along the corridor. Neither spoke until the old man finally reached for the tea a servant had brought before the meeting began. His hand was steady now, but he paused before lifting the cup.

The patriarch noticed the hesitation. "You are certain he was restraining himself?"

The grand elder lowered his gaze to the untouched tea. "Completely. I have spent decades cultivating my Blood Energy, and he stopped it without effort. Whatever strength he possesses beyond what he showed us, I would have no way of measuring it."

The patriarch did not question him again. By evening, the administrator had begun bringing old complaint ledgers and settlement petitions from storage. The patriarch examined the first stack personally, paying particular attention to cases that had been closed after one party withdrew its claim without explanation. Several had once seemed too minor to warrant his involvement. After what he had witnessed at the Vale residence, he could no longer assume that a grievance was harmless merely because the person carrying it lacked the strength to demand an answer.