Liu Xianghua allowed her eyes to rove around the little procession; she was part of a small caravan. They had set out from Fa Ram yesterday, to travel to Verdant Hill for the New Year Festivities that would be taking place there. In doing so, they had stopped off at Hong Yaowu, most of the village was also heading in the same direction. The cultivators of Fa Ram had aided them in packing their goods, and Chun Ke and Master Jin had forged ahead to clear the road of snow. The mortals were chattering amongst themselves as they travelled on a road that had been cleared of snow. The mood felt light and festive as the caravan plodded along.

Xianghua herself sat in a cart as it rumbled down the road, leaning against Gou Ren’’s arm. Her Gou was dozing lightly in his seat.

They were headed to the town of Verdant Hill in order to observe the New Year’s festivities. Xianghua was quite excited. The New Year had been the most consistent time she had to sneak off and spend time with Bowu, until very recently, when she had started being called to the New Year’s meetings by the Elders and her father.

Which meant sitting around and pouring the old bastards drinks while they talked in circles, and reminisced. Two damn years she had to sit through that, and she was looking forward to the fact that this year was a return to form. She and her brother, observing festivities, and eating entirely too many sweet pastries.

This year, she would have more than just herself and her brother.

“We’re makin’ good time, eh?” Gou Ren’s mother, Hu Li asked in that thick accent of hers from the other end of the cart. She was hanging onto the side like a much younger girl, her eyes flitting around the road.

“Yeah. Our boys did good work.” Ten Ren said with obvious pride, a soft smile on his monkey-like face. Both the fox-like woman and monkey-like man grinned at each other. One was vulpine and sharp, the other bright and mischievous. Their faces were weather beaten and starting to get wrinkles. They had blemishes and scars. They were the complete opposites of Xianghua’s own parents… and yet they were to her, superior in every way.

Xianghua smiled down at the dress she was wearing. A gift from Hu Li—one that she had inherited from her own mother. It fit surprisingly well, as did the rest of her current attire.

“Feathers, or something more traditional?” Mother Hu Li had asked, as she held up baubles to be woven into Xianghua’s hair. Wearing the trappings of Mother Hu Li’s tribe would have made the vein in her father’s head bulge. In times past she might have done it to spite him but it was important to Hu Li, it made her happy, so Xianghua had agreed.

“Feathers are the superior option.” She had stated simply, and the wonderful woman beamed at her.

Ten Ren, while she had been trying on the dress, had taken his own sons and Bowu out hunting. The man was quieter than his talkative wife, and was content to simply sit and listen, until the time came when he could crack a joke.

The boys had returned late that evening with a spectacular haul.. Including Bowu. Her little brother had trekked through the forest all day, learning to hunt from Ten Ren. Bowu had proudly shown off the rabbit he had taken. It was a single, lonely hare.. But Ten Ren had nodded, praised the catch, and shown him how to butcher it. That was his way—quietly showing, and then letting one figure things out on their own.

When Bowu had messed up and accidentally punctured one of the organs, Ten Ren had laughed it off, instead of striking Bowu for his failure… then realised that Xainghua was watching, and asked if she too wished to learn.

Xianghua had politely declined, and instead simply kept watching, as Bowu managed to, eventually, break down the rabbit.

Mortal Ten Ren ruffled the Young Master of the Misty Lake Sect’s hair, and smiled with pride at him.

Bowu had looked so lost for just a moment, before his grin lit up like the sun.

Speaking of her brother, he was jogging beside the caravan while talking to the Young Chief Xian. He took every opportunity to move these days, her brother, making up for lost time it seemed. He would volunteer to get things for other people, just so he would have an excuse to break into a sprint to retrieve it.

It was… good.

Liu Xianghua was content. The warm, pleasant feeling in her chest had persisted for months, and made the world just seem brighter. She did not need to concentrate to smile these days; she needed to concentrate to erase the ever-present slight upturn of her lips.

Everything was just… the best it had been in a long time. Her brother had been healed, even if he still was not a cultivator. She learned new things! Even if most of them were mortal in nature, sublime arts like Ha Qi were certainly great pearls. She got to spend time with Xiulan and Tigu. Both of them were always eager for a spar that didn’t have the underlying tension she was used to of “what if somebody takes this too far”.

Her father would have hated every moment. Her mother too. She was “slacking”. She was not maintaining her fighting spirit. And the biggest sin of all, she was acting like a mortal.

Her father would have slapped her until she couldn’t stand up anymore.

And yet, even as she did all these things, these actions that would supposedly diminish her power and make her lesser… she grew.

She was not like Xiulan, a virulent weed that sprouted and grasped at the sun. Her growth was slower. But delicious, Qi packed food, powerful sparring partners, and her own feelings of absolute peace had proved perfect for her cultivation.

Like a rising river she had ascended to the Fifth Stage of the Initiate’s Realm, and was brushing against the Profound. Her brother had guaranteed her a new, more powerful engine within the New Year, one that, in his words, would “utterly eclipse those pieces of junk”.

Xianghua let out a breath, as she turned her eyes to the sky.

For all of this, the sect would have lavished attention upon them, and poured resources into their development.

Here… they were rewarded with trust.

Her own sect was at times leery of her motivations. Her father hadn’t trusted her at all… though he had been right to suspect her.

But here? Bi De had shown her the crystal, and the ancient arts of her ancestors within.

The noble blood of a dragon, however weak and diluted, flowed within their veins. She had knowledge that would upend the entire Azure Hills… and it was given to her freely.

She was still processing the information… but it was absolute proof, at least, that her ancestors had been noble; they had willingly fought against the monster that had been the Azure Emperor. They had housed thousands of refugees during the Demonic incursion. Their legacy and domain… it was something worth preserving.

“Hey! Damp Pond!” Tigu’s voice startled Xianghua out of her introspection. The caravan had rolled to a stop as a small clearing. “Help us cook lunch!”

Xianghua snorted at the demand.

“Very well! Thank me for my benevolence!” She called out, and Tigu responded with a rude gesture.

Xianghua shook her head and untangled herself from Gou. She would have her work cut out for her, whipping her sect back into shape.

But for now? For the next week?

She turned, and mer Gou Ren’s eyes. The man was smiling at her.

This week was a festival. Serious planning would begin after it.

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

“And… well, that's everything, Teacher.” Jin said, sitting across from the Lord Magistrate.

The Lord Magistrate stared blankly at the young man in front of him, his face carefully neutral, as calm as a sailor facing a savage storm with just as much cursing. It had almost been a good day.

It had started well enough; the New Year’s Festival was scheduled to start tomorrow. Everything was ready and today was supposed to be a day of relaxation, for the most part. He had completed all the planning over a year ago, and the people he had doing the festival set up had become exceedingly efficient at their jobs needing little supervision.

Of course, he would have to be available for any last minute additions, changes, or problems, but for the most part he had been looking forward to overseeing the last of the set up, and enjoying the crisp winter air as his plans came seamlessly to fruition.

Instead, like a storm in a cloudless sky, Rou Jin had shown up, asking for assistance with a delicate political matter.

His mood had soured a bit, but he was still quite pleased that the Young Man had sought his counsel.

Indeed, it was only after his wife had said something that the Lord Magistrate really started to warm up to the idea.

“My darling, think of it this way.” she had said, looking down at him reproachfully from where he was bound to the bed.“The de facto Master of the Azure Hills comes to you, and says “Help me, teacher!”

Which, indeed, was a very fine way of looking at things. He was held in such esteem that a powerful cultivator looked to The Lord Magistrate for approval!

It did also help that Jin was quite a quick learner, attentive, and held on to his every word.

So the Lord Magistrate had been mollified, and he thought, prepared for any “delicate diplomatic incident” that the young man could bring.

Naturally, the heavens had seen his hubris, and designed to punish him for it.

Which is why he got a rather fantastical story about a memory crystal, an ancient empire, the secrets of the past and what to do with them, and several of Jin’s own ideas.

Why? Just… why?

Now, all the Lord Magistrate could do was sit back in his chair.

His stomach began to churn unpleasantly… until he was drawn back out of his gloomy thoughts when he noticed Jin’s expectant face waiting for his judgment. For the Lord Magistrate of the Verdant Hill to weigh in and provide a solution to the possible destruction of the Azure Hills.

He took a deep breath, and forced down the feeling of utter despair and really thought about what was happening.

The formation that the demon had used was effectively destroyed, from what Jin had said. It had been thousands of years… and Jin had contingencies if there were demons involved.

He also had an idea of what to do with the knowledge, an idea that would hopefully stop any and all cultivators from coming and bothering him by giving them bait elsewhere.

He felt his shoulders start to unclench.

Because.. Really, it actually seemed that things were already well in hand? The only reason why Jin was involving him was because the Young Man trusted his judgment… and that the Lord Magistrate would tell him if he found anything truly wrong with the ideas presented.

He thought about it further.

It was not the solution the Lord Magistrate would have chosen. He would have likely buried the damn thing, and told not a soul. But giving the knowledge of sect techniques away while keeping most of the past a secret… it was viable, if they figured out how to copy the information out of the crystal.

Jin did have a plan. And though there was some risk… the outcome could be desirable.

Of course, when cultivators were involved, there was always the chance for things to go explosively wrong.

But for now…

“I believe your ideas are feasible.” The Lord Magistrate finally said. “I commend your thinking on this matter, my student.”

Jin let out a small breath, and smiled. ”I thought it would be alright. I mean, the last thing I want is a war or something to break out. What kind of idiot would want to be Emperor of a field of ashes?”

The Lord Magistrate knew several, from his time in Pale Moon Lake City, but he couldn’t help but smile at the younger man’s grumbling.

“Indeed. At the moment, there is no time limit. A few, trustworthy people know of this crystal. You hold all of the advantages, and can thus take your time deciding on a course of action. Careful planning and preparation is the key for any battle. On the field, or with words. I shall meditate further upon this myself. I’ll need at least a week to consider the options we have before us, but there are no glaring issues that I can see with what we have discussed.”

“Thank you for your insight, teacher.” Jin said formally, clasping his hands together. Some more of the tension bled out of the room, the gesture signifying the end of the time where they were master and student.

“Sorry to spring this on you so soon before the festival.” Jin said apologetically.

The Lord Magistrate waved it off. “I shall not hold it against you, Jin. Better to bring problems up sooner, rather than let them ferment into disaster.”

“Well. now that that's out of the way…” Jin said leadingly, taking up a package from beside him. It was another jar.

“More syrup?” The Lord Magistrate asked.

Jin shook his head.

“Spirits, this time. Mead, and a few of the other distillations. Also this…”

The Lord Magistrate smiled, this time, at the Seven Fragrance Jewel herbs.

“Thank you for your generosity, Jin. You do me much honour.”

The young man scratched at his cheek.

“You’ve helped me out a lot. Least I could do—though there is one more thing!” The man said, reaching into his pack— “Also, this is for your wife. Meimei said she used this to help with her damaged senses?” The Lord Magistrate froze, at the lengths of soft, supple rope, crafted by a cultivator, and the blindfold. He nearly choked, his eyes darting back up. Only to meet the guileless, pure smile of Rou Jin.

“....thank you. We both appreciate your continued concern for her health.” he said, forcing a smile.

“I’ll see you later, teacher. If you need anything, just give me a call!”

The words, not so long ago, would have sounded mocking.

Now, the Lord Magistrate just nodded.

“Enjoy the festival, Rou Jin.”

The young man stood and left, leaving the Lord Magistrate alone with his thoughts.

History from thousands of years ago, eh? He always did enjoy reading about the scholar generals…

He didn’t have any Qi, but perhaps they would permit him to see some of the legal documentation that was stored in the crystal.