Why did everything always have to go wrong? It wasn't like he didn't make his instructions clear or that the plan wasn't perfect. If it wasn't idiots like the one in front of him, then it was that bastard Lu Yong and his heroics ruining everything. He cursed the gods again for interfering. It had all been under his control until they stepped in and took Wu Chen away.

Chu Haoyu rubbed his forehead and glared at the cowering man shaking on his knees before him. He leaned forward, and although his voice was quiet, the threat was clear.

'So, instead of waiting for Wu Chen and Lu Yong to enter the pass and attacking the wolves when they went after them, you took it upon yourself to attack the Crescent Wolves den?' He slammed his hand down on the armrest of the chair, smashing it into little pieces. 'Arrogant!'

'But...but, now they're actually together with the wolves. Won't it be better in the long run for your rescue plan?' The shaking man offered, sweat streaming down the sides of his face.

He had thought that it was too risky for his precious Cobra to take on the Crescent Wolf hunters. He figured if he stirred up the pack's anger enough, they would attack the traveling duo in a thoughtless rage. It should have made it easier to take them down with his pet. Who would have thought that they would make a deal with the two men to hunt his pet and himself down instead?

Chu Haoyu's eyes burned with his frustration and anger. The plan was salvageable, but it would be trickier. He stood up and kicked the damaged chair across the room. It shouldn't be this hard to kill one man, he thought as he furiously paced back and forth.

Now that he thought about that, a new idea suddenly surfaced. What if the gods were still watching Wu Chen and were now protecting Wu Chen and Lu Yong from death? He remembered that part of the reason Wu Chen was taken from him was to fulfill some kind of fate that his kidnapping had prevented. It could be that the gods were counteracting any likely deaths of their 'fated ones', and he would forever find himself unable to kill either of them until that fate had played itself out. It would certainly explain why they seemed to keep narrowly escaping when death was the only option.

He needed a new way of thinking. Perhaps keeping Lu Yong alive but separate from Wu Chen would be the better option. If the gods didn't want Lu Yong to die because of some fate only they could see, he would just have to avoid setting off whatever protective measures they had in place. If he kept him alive, it could be that they would be less likely to butt in.

As an added incentive, he could take out all his aggression on his most hated enemy whenever he wished to. A slow grin spread across his face.

He stopped pacing. Slowly, he walked up to the cowering man, grabbed his shoulder, and pulled him up from the ground. After setting him back on his feet, he threw an arm around the shivering man's shoulder and said, 'Fine. I have a new plan.' He pulled the man's head so that his ear was beside Chu Haoyu's mouth, 'If you and that snake screw it up this time, neither of you will survive to see the next dawn. Do you understand?'

The man swallowed, his fear clearly written on his face, and nodded to Chu Haoyu briskly. He didn't care if he lost the snake this time. It was better than losing his own life.

*********************************************************

Wu Ying balanced the messenger crane Wu Chen had sent between his index fingers. He was trying to think of a way to downplay what had been happening with the clans. It was important that his younger brother be able to focus on his quest. That was a priority, despite the need to think of the clan first. Each clan member only got one chance at a clan quest in their lifetime. If he rushed back to try to help, he wouldn't be able to change anything, and his one chance for clan glory would be destroyed as well.

Not to mention that every last one of the Immortal Sects were demanding that Wu Chen be sent as their first disciple choice. If he came back now, it would only be to pack his things and become a forced disciple of whatever sect got their hands on the Wu Clan. While heirs of the clan leaders were exempt, their other children were not.

Wu Ying set the messenger down on his desk and stared out the window, his thoughts dark and pessimistic.

There was a knock at his door, and Wu Ying called out a calm, 'Come.'

Little Wu Ming quietly entered the room, his young face devoid of the sunny smile he normally wore. He bowed politely and relayed his message, 'Clan Leader asks that you join him in Wu Hall. Another two representatives have arrived.' His sad eyes glanced at his martial brother, patiently waiting for his response.

After a moment, Wu Ying stood up from the desk, his features wooden. 'Please inform Clan Leader that I am on my way. Have the other delegates been informed?'

'They have been informed as per the agreement, young master Ying. I will leave first.' Wu Ming bowed and left to inform the leader that he was coming.

Two more mangy dogs, thought Wu Ying. That made it seven now. How many more sects would try to force their way down the Wu Clan's throat? He sighed and began his trek to the hall. His father needed someone beside him during these trying times. He couldn't let him down.

As he made his way through the quiet paths of the Wu Clan compound, he thought about the news they had received the night before. Two of the latest casualties in this Clan-Sect war had been deliberately announced at the last delegates' meeting. The Fei Clan and the Tong Clan had been completely destroyed. Not a single member of either clan had survived the attack from the sects that they'd refused. That made a total of six clans that had their candle flames extinguished forever, along with all of their accumulated knowledge and secret abilities.

It was a potent warning to the other clans in the mortal realm.

As he walked up the steps of the hall, he felt that a heavy weight crushed his chest. For the first time, he was glad that Wu Chen wasn't by his side. At least if things went bad and the Wu Clan was destroyed, there was a chance that he could still survive. It was the only hope Wu Ying dared to still entertain.

He rested his head on the wooden doors of the hall and closed his eyes against the feeling of hopelessness. Then, he took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and returned his natural arrogance to his face. Without another pause, he pushed open the doors and, with his head held high, he entered the lion's den.