Master Tang's hands were clenched, but he didn't interrupt. He learned by now that arguing with me was like wrestling a storm that decided to pour down droplets of toxic acid instead of water.
I leaned back, the cup of sake hovering just above my lips.
"You fear repercussions. I understand. That's human nature. But fear doesn't solve problems—it just delayed it."
"What the Order should do is attack them head‑on. Hit them where it hurts. Force them out of the shadows. Make them show themselves in the open."
The elders stiffened at once.
"Senior," Elder Mu said carefully, "that would provoke them. Darkness would start killing our allies, and things would blow out of proportion in no time."
I looked at him, then sighed.
"Do you hear yourself? You're afraid they'll do what they've already been doing."
I let that sink in before continuing.
