Elder Méi Xuělián of the Snow Plum Pavilion had served on the Council of Elders for forty-three years, representing her sect with distinction and advocating for moderate policies that balanced order with compassion. At Rank 7, she was among the more powerful members of the Seventy-Two Elders, her cultivation focused on healing and protection rather than destruction.
She was also, unknown to her colleagues, becoming a problem.
It had started six months ago with a simple observation: the death rate among promising young cultivators had increased by seventeen percent over the past decade. Not a dramatic spike—just enough to be statistically notable if one was paying attention.
Méi Xuělián had been paying attention.
