It was still strange to be able to move this fast, Meiling thought as her feet pounded along the road in the pre-dawn light.

Meiling could never help marveling at her body when she really let loose. The speed at which she could move, the way her body rarely got sore anymore, and the lack of any kind of shakes. It was the precision. It was the way her body moved exactly the way she wanted it to that she couldn’t help but marvel at.

She was pregnant, yet she was running faster than a horse without strain. None of the standard ailments seemed to bother her. No morning sickness. No urge to urinate constantly. It was still early, but there wasn't any pain, bloating or soreness, either. If it wasn’t for the small, slowly growing bump, or the constant awareness of a small something growing within her, she would honestly never have noticed that she was having a child.

It was just her and her husband today, heading to Verdant Hill. They had set out in the early morning light. The rest of their family had either been too hung over to join them or would be heading home to take care of the farm.

It was rather nice to have so many people she could rely on. She could leave behind her worries, focusing on running along a road she helped build towards Verdant Hill.

It wouldn’t have looked out of place near the capital, and it cut hours off the journey by foot, smoothing out some of the winding curves. At their current pace, it would be mere hours until they arrived.

It was humbling. She still remembered the one time, long ago, it had taken a full week to get to Verdant Hill after a tree had fallen across the road.

“Hey, look. There's our special spot,” Jin said, pointing.

He grinned, and started to make a detour. Amused, Meiling followed him. This was the spot where they had first kissed, over a year ago. How time flew. And Jin, the thief, had stolen the rock. It was a very nice rock, and it was right beside the house. Too bad it left the clearing rather bare—

Meiling raised an eyebrow, as they came to the clearing. She stared at the boulder sitting where the old rock stood.

“...when did you put this here?.” she deadpanned.

Jin whistled, trying to sound innocent. He jumped to the top of the rock, and smirked down at her.

Meiling, who once had to be carried up, jumped up in a single leap.

The view was as spectacular as ever. The company pleasant too.

================================

Jin was humming a tune and Meiling was in a similarly good mood as they slowed from a run to a more leisurely walk.

The stone walls of Verdant Hill were in sight. They rose, tall and strong, into the sky, atop the peak of one of the large but gentle slopes. As far as Meiling could remember, they had only been tested by Spirit Beasts three times since the records started, and each time the creatures had been repelled, though one could still see the subtle differences in the stone work on the part of the wall that had been repaired after it had been half–knocked down a century ago.

It was an idyllic looking town, especially with the new roads. Green grass and farmland covered the ground outside the walls, and Meiling could see the guard patrols in the distance going about their business, the well drilled and polite men ever ready to assist.

The sun had fully risen by the time they got to the gate. The guards gave them a once-over and let them in without a fuss. Meiling could see recognition in their eyes as they looked at Jin, and they nodded politely to them.

They came through the gate into the orderly streets. It was an old town, built around an older town. A small shrine, right beside the “Imperial Palace”—the grand name for the Magistrate’s residence, and the governmental buildings—was the oldest building in it, the rest having been burned down through fires or replaced. The town was well organized, in a grid layout, and had been becoming ever more orderly over the years, and ever cleaner, since the Lord Magistrate took office. Meiling couldn’t tell, but father and Uncle Bao, the Archivist, talked about it quite often.

Even the district that could be considered a slum, filled with the poorer members of the town, was clean and often crimeless. The guards were vigilant and the people remained unmolested.

The Lord Magistrate did his job well, and Meiling could think of no better person for Jin to seek assistance from. Meiling was already taking lessons with Lady Wu. Perhaps they would learn together?

But that was for later in the day. Though Jin wanted to see the Lord Magistrate, they were going to drop in on their friends first.

They approached one of the larger walled compounds. Though Verdant Hill had no true noble bloodlines, the Zhuge Clan was one of the oldest clans in the town, having lived here since they had records.

Jin knocked politely on the door and they were greeted by a servant who showed them in before calling over Tingfeng.

Zhuge Tingfeng was a thin, bookish looking man. Generally quiet and pensive, he was almost pretty, with long fingers and his topknot, a direct contrast to Meiling’s own husband, who towered over him, a wall of muscle.

“Brother Jin! Meiling!” he exclaimed as he saw them. The man looked exhausted, with bags under his eyes, but he perked up happily on seeing them.

Jin took in the other man’s appearance. “Your kid still keeping you up?” He asked, amused, as he clasped arms with Tingfeng.

The other man looked vaguely haunted. “They all tell me that it's good he's so loud… but he wakes the entire street.” Jin laughed, and clapped Tingfeng on the shoulder. The other man smiled.

“What we’ve got to look forward to in a couple of months,” Meiling mused, as Tingfeng led them through the compound.

“Then I shall share a drink with you both when your trial is done.” Tingfeng said, as he led them into his home, where Meihua was obviously still waking up too, sitting at the table with her son. Jin paused, and averted his eyes from the breastfeeding mother.

“Meiling!” Meihua exclaimed, uncaring of Jin’s presence. It was rather unfair, in Meiling’s opinion, how her best friend could look so radiant even when so clearly tired. It seemed that every time she saw her, Meihua became more beautiful and radiant. Her hair was still like silk, and her skin as pale as Xiulan’s.

Meiling just marched up to her friend, and hugged her—before checking over mother and son.

“Have you been eating well? Any soreness? How is he eating?” Meiling asked, as the child burbled happily at her.

“Hello to you too,” Meihua said sarcastically, as fingers poked and prodded, Meihua bearing it with fond exasperation. “Well, no soreness, and I’m always surprised he doesn’t drain me dry.”

The two women looked at each other for a moment, before beginning to giggle. Meihua smiled at Jin and rolled her eyes; he was deliberately looking away, talking to Tingfeng.

“So, tell me what you’ve been up to…” Meihua asked.

====================================

We were all sitting together around the table as Tingfeng was finishing getting ready for work. I was holding a baby in my arms, as Meimei and Meihua chattered away, catching up.

The baby wasn’t named quite yet. It was custom to wait six months. But Tingfeng was really quite set on a name for his firstborn son.

Jinhai. Named after me.

I grimaced slightly at the reminder of why this child was going to have this name. Zang Li, the imposter, or maybe the true Member of the Shrouded Mountain sect, trying to take Meihua and… well.

I shoved the thought aside, very carefully not clenching my fists.

If I had known back then what I know now… Well, I might not have been as nice. Maybe I had been kind of naive. I had trusted in the authorities, and it had come back to bite me in the ass.

Could I have done something different? I didn’t know. The thought kept me up at night sometimes. But it was too late for regrets.

All I could do in the future was be better.

I rocked the baby, little Jinhai, back and forth in my arms, as I thought. I was interrupted in my brooding by Tingfeng as he reentered the room in his official robes and kissed Meihua on the cheek.

“Alright. I’m heading off, does anybody need anything?” He asked.

I looked up at him, considering.

“Yeah, could you pass on a message to the Lord Magistrate for me? I know he’s busy, but… I’d like to arrange a meeting.”

Tingfeng paused, and looked closely at me for a moment. Then, he clasped his hands in front of him. “Of course, Brother Jin. I’ll be sure to inform the Lord Magistrate as soon as I am able.”

I needed help. And from what I had seen so far, the Lord Magistrate was probably the most honest and upright politician in any of my lives. And if I could stop things before they started? Well, that was worth the hassle.

I sighed and leaned back. Hopefully the Lord Magistrate had had a bit less of an exciting time than I had.

I had heard that nothing had really happened in our absence, so that was good.

===================

A man sat at a desk, his eyes intent. Although he looked to be in his mid forties with a salt and pepper beard, he was dignified. Unbowed by the passing of time in the slightest. Exquisite silk robes crafted by master artisans and a perfectly coiffed topknot left one with the impression of a master in his home. Seated before a richly carved desk upon which scrolls were neatly arranged, he had a sense of power about him. An aura of command, that would not be out of place in the court of the Emperor himself. The man held one scroll open, reading it with utter serenity.

Then the grand lord sighed heavily and slammed his head onto his desk, dropping the scroll he had read for the fourth time.

“Why can’t things be peaceful? This place was supposed to be quiet,” the Lord Magistrate of Verdant Hill wondered to himself, muttering angrily under his breath as he rose back up.

The Lord Magistrate of Verdant Hill sighed again as he started to read the document once more. The Azure Jade Trading Company would be setting up their first permanent warehouse above the Pine Belt— the name for the rough geographic location that most of the province lived south of, where the snows were harsher and the winters colder.

They had bypassed at least twenty towns that were probably more prosperous and better positioned, heading straight for Verdant Hill.

There was only one reason why they would be so interested.

Rou Jin. The cultivator seemed to delight in making his life harder. He had been informed of the man’s arrival earlier in the day and now his thoughts were once more upon the human-shaped Wreckerball.

Ever since he got here it had been one thing after another. The Lord Magistrate was sure Rou Jin’s presence had shaved a few years off his life. First the debacle with the Shrouded Mountain, then the mis-graded rice, and then the revelation he would be staying at the Lord Magistrate’s wonderful, quiet little corner of the world for years after marrying Hong Meiling.

And now… now there were the roads and the missive that he was staring at.

The roads… well, they were the least of his worries, really. They had been needed, even if the cultivator had unknowingly stomped all over the Magistrate’s carefully laid plains. He had it all laid out, too. In a few more years he would have gotten the quarries to the east running better to supply the demand for stone and improve the whole region! The people would have been singing praises of his foresight and ability to give men a living for centuries. The Lord Magistrate of the North. The Venerable Patriarch, undisputed! Better still, by the time everything grew enough that he couldn’t enjoy the peace and quiet of walking around without guards? Well, he’d be dead! Remembered fondly as a guiding hand, yet getting to enjoy his life while he lived. The best of both worlds.

Except there was this letter, moving up the timelines he had so carefully planned for.

The seal of the Azure Jade Trading Company was upon it. And not just any random member’s seal, but one inlaid with small chunks of Jade indicating the personal seal of the Master of the company.

The Lord Magistrate had known that the Gold Grade rice Rou Jin had brought to him would make waves. There was no way it wouldn’t have. But that didn’t stop him from being annoyed that the Azure Jade Trading Company was coming here in force. Of course the company had not bothered with the niceties of permission or consideration, they had simply announced their plans.

It wasn't like he could refuse, either. One did not simply deny one of the greatest trade houses the right to do as they pleased. He already had one shark in his lovely pond, and now he had another. It was understandable, even, that they would use Verdant Hill as a base. His work had ensured the stability of the Verdant Hill; where else would they go? He was proud of that.

It did not stop it from being annoying, or stressful in the extreme. Any man would be nervous when the Azure Jade Trading Company started to throw their weight around. Playing host to a company powerful enough to bury him without a second thought had him reaching for some calming tea.

His stomach churned most unpleasantly, as he cursed Rou Jin within the sanctity of his mind.

The bastard. It was somehow worse that the man was so strange. With another cultivator he could at least predict how they would act. Cultivators weren’t likely going to get involved in mortal affairs. He could distract them with toys or offer them obeisance. They were simple to appease, unconcerned as they were with mortals. Instead, he was constantly wondering which way the chaotic wind would blow. The man gave him gifts worthy of kings without hesitation, each one implicitly putting him further into the man’s debt.

Seven Fragrance Jewel Herbs, and Qi filled food. He acted like it was nothing.

He groaned again in frustration.

“Oh! Here you are, dear.” The Lord Magistrate looked up to see his wife, Lady Wu. Her dark eyes held some concern, and her red lips were pulled into a frown. She placed a tea tray she was holding down, and brushed a lock of black, waist-length hair, streaked with white, behind her ear. It had always hurt to look at that white strand, residual damage from a cultivator. That, and the shakes that had plagued her, in times past. The fact that she could carry the tray without her hands shaking was a credit to Hong Yaowu’s medicine, and little Meiling. No matter how much she was corrupted by Rou Jin, she remained kind and gentle. “I went to give you this, but you weren’t where you normally are during the meeting. Why aren’t you in the usual place? They’re nearly done already.”

The Lord Magistrate sighed and his wife raised an eyebrow. Yes, today was when the scribes all began discussing the end of harvest reports, after the festival. Normally he would be in an alcove nearby, only accessible from his office, and listening to his men wax poetic about his accomplishments.

It was usually a highlight of his year. It would have been even better, with his wife coming to serve him tea!

Today, however, the clerks had been largely centered on talking about the roads and of the impending arrival of the Azure Jade Trading Company.

Both loathsome subjects, especially when they were praising him for the accomplishments. Saying how his bargaining skills must be beyond mortal ability, if he could convince the company to come here, after somehow managing to swindle a cultivator into building a road for him.

It was vexing! So vexing! He had barely had a hand in them! To listen to men praise him for things that weren’t his accomplishments was like a knife to his heart, and had caused him to flee his banquet of praise.

“I couldn’t enjoy it,” he finally said.

His lady wife frowned and placed the tea in front of him, walking around his desk to sit beside him. “Husband, have you spoken with him yet?” she asked. As always, she was perceptive, knowing his woes without need for words.

“No. I… I need to think of a better way to word my arguments. I can’t just walk up and start complaining about him, to him no less!”

She looked vaguely amused.

“I do think you could,” she returned evenly. “Look at you, you aren’t sleeping well, and you can’t even enjoy something you’ve been looking forward to all year!”

She was getting indignant now. He caught her arm and patted it.

“It’s not... Too much of an imposition. I’m sure I can figure everything out and reach a satisfactory conclusion.”

She raised an eyebrow at him and huffed. “You can’t avoid this forever,” she said simply.

“I’ll... invite him to dinner. Yes, I’ll invite him to dinner. He’s in town. I’ll invite him to dinner and bring up things… delicately. I’ll navigate it with my usual skill and grace.”

His wife seemed unimpressed. “Tonight. They’re in town, so I’ll visit little Mei and bring it up with them.”

Tonight—?!

“We should have some more time to prepare—”

There was a signal from outside, a servant letting him know that somebody was approaching his door.

Both paused and turned to the sound.

“Enter,” the Lord Magistrate said, turning back around and organizing his desk. His wife swiftly tugged some errant strands of hair back into his topknot and took a step back, sitting on the bench nearby. Transforming in an instant into the vision of a perfect magistrate’s wife.

Zhuge Tingfeng entered, looking a bit out of sorts.

“Lord Magistrate, sir. Forgive me for not bringing this to you earlier, but I could not find you. The meeting started early and Chief Scribe grabbed me—”

The Lord Magistrate waved the man’s concerns away.

“It’s fine, Tingfeng. I know that the seniors can impose on you. What was it that you needed?”

Tingfeng cleared his throat. “Rou Jin politely requests a meeting over an evening meal.”

The Lord Magistrate smiled, his face frozen.

Rou Jin wanted to meet him over an evening meal?

“He seemed concerned, Lord Magistrate,” Tingfeng continued.

The Lord Magistrate grabbed his stomach under the table, out of Tingffeng’s view, doing everything in his power not to double over.