Heavenly Shae

Chapter 21: "Little Trouble in Big Village."

What Elder Ghon had called Minlin village was far too large, but it was slightly too small to be a proper city. It had been a large town for a while, yet the local magistrate insisted it was becoming a city, "Thus the name must follow." The name change and regulations to enforce its use had a negligible impact on the town's economy. As such, it was still struggling to grow larger.

The large earthworks on the outer perimeter marked the magistrate's ambition. A trench ran alongside an embankment with a stone wall between. It made for a simple way of constructing a larger wall than just the stone would allow. It failed to be impressive or intimidating, settling on excessive. For a town this size Shae wondered if the magistrate had emptied the coffers building it, or if he feared some disaster would befall the town.

Rings of old town walls marked the history of expanding the town. The passage to the center of the old village was like slowly walking back in time. Newer buildings were scattered throughout the slide show of gradually aging architecture. The surviving buildings were kept in good repair, their owners proud of their history.

At the outer wall, Shae had almost shouted in surprise when she had to pay the entry toll. Not from the toll, but from the coins Auntie Mei had given her, it was far too much. She had kept it to a respectable yelp.

With the sun setting, she wanted to find Cultivator Bai as fast as possible. Rumor was that they were staying at an inn in the market district. The center of the old village had been turned into a large market square. Housing removed in favor of commerce, though Shae guessed it was fire that did the removal, it usually was.

The old walls served as checkpoints for guards and tolls, though only the outer and inner charged for entry. The toll covering the market district served as an additional tax on the goods, and they were not shy about charging merchants more, knowing they were there to make sales. The end of the harvest festival had changed the dynamic slightly, loosening restrictions since most of the tax quota had already been collected.

Shae was stopped and asked if she intended to trade valuable goods, which she was not. "Just a courier, and staying the night if the inns are reasonable."

"Most have left, so room prices are low." The helpful guard replied. "What's with the sticks?"

"Ah! Almost forgot about those. I meant to find someone today, but..." she gestured to the dark sky. "They're golden larch branches, from the mountain. Hoped a carver or someone could use them for more than kindling. Already know they won't make good arrows."

"Golden larch?" The guard paused, then took a closer look at the branches. "Real golden larch? I mean, was it a True Golden Larch?"

"Umm, how would I tell?"

"Ehhh, don't remember. Probably would be obvious if you've seen both types." He shook his head and brought out a tablet and charcoal stick. "Have to give you a slip for it, sorry." He wrote some things down and handed her a piece of paper. "It's a taxation tracking slip. Expensive goods need to be taxed, this is how it's done."

Shae gave him a blank stare then scanned the paper.

"Right, I'd guess you've never seen one, and maybe can't read it. When you sell the branches, even for kindling. Have the merchant mark the slip, they'll know what to do. Then on your way out, you get to pay the tax, even if you sold it for nothing, minimum tax covers the paperwork." He pointed at the paper. "Don't lose the paper, don't lose the sticks, or even throw them away or anything. If you can't show proof when you leave the fine is quite high."

Shae looked at the very ordinary paper, expecting some qi infused tracking mark or other spell.

"Heh, I know that look. Nothin' fancy here, just paperwork, I gotta file a report now about you and your merchandise. You could risk it and skip out in the long run, but don't bother, if that's where your head's at, just turn around now and save us the legwork, eh?" The guard chuckled.

Shae shook her head. "No, it's fine. It seems quite a reasonable system."

The guard shrugged, "It works. Enjoy your stay in the market district."

After the talk with the guard she wanted to sell the branches right away. Carrying a bundle of sticks into an inn might get me some side eye. The sunset made that a challenge. Most of the shops had closed, and those that remained were general stores, unlikely to identify the wood correctly.

She quickly gave up on that for today, and looking at the bundle again she decided to do something about it. Using one of Auntie Mei's shawl, she rewrapped the bundle, securing it with more rope to minimize its profile. Good, less suspicious now. Not that I have anything to hide.

She found the cultivators and their recruits in the large public square near the inns. There were three distinct groups. The largest was the military: their uniforms marked out the few experienced troops from the new recruits. Those recruits were being led in physical fitness exercises.

The second group was her objective: Honorable Dragon's Entreaty cultivators. Their white robes with red and blue detail were easily recognized. Their few new recruits were not in sect robes, but they were being verbally led through meditation by a sect member.

The last and smallest were monks. Shae first mistook them as another sect. She picked up on her mistake quickly when she noticed a few shaved heads, distinct jewelry, and other trinkets. It was generally said that if a sect won't take you, the military will, and even if the military does not, the monks always will. Many even chose monastic life over the other two more violent options.

The monks and new recruits were performing a very slow martial art. While similar to her village's Tao Yan, it looked to focus more on the workout aspects because all of the new recruits were sweating and struggling through the poses. Shae knew from her own practice that certain poses could be far more taxing than they appeared.

The young girl took a few hurried deep breaths, then moved into the square. Keep calm, act professional, have a plan to- wait, wrong motto. Just the first two.

She approached the most senior looking Entreaty sect member. He was relaxing casually in a chair that looked out of place. He ignored the meditation in favor of watching the two other groups exercising. As Shae approached she noticed him slightly flexing his own muscles, like he was mentally working through a routine in his sleep, with just whispers leaking through.

Shae did not know how to identify a sect elder but decided to lean into respect first. "Apologies Elder, I am looking for Cultivator Bai?"

He glanced at her and just pointed to another man.

This one was set up with a building to his back, a chair and table set out for him to work at. Quills, ink, and paperwork filled the table, looking somewhere between chaos and casual disorder. The man was clearly stressed, dark bags under his eyes and ink stains on his hands.

"Cultivator Bai?"

He didn't look up. "It's Bai, please say it correctly."

"Apologies, Cultivator Bai, I have a letter from Elder Ngoc." She handed him the letter, touching the loose string hanging off it, he gave her a look. "It had a ring-tael, but I had a run in with desperate couriers that were not interested in coming into town."

"Sure." He said and opened the letter.

A ring shaped tael was one of the more valuable silver coins for its usefulness in having a useful hole punched through it. It was technically worth a fraction of a silver tael, but its usefulness rose in some cases. When attached to a letter, it indicated an increased or conditional reward for delivery.

He finished reading and looked up, "Did these bandit couriers delay you terribly, miss...?"

"Miss Shae. And no, they did not. I did lose a day or two to other factors."

"Just a day or two? The letter is dated a week ago?"

"Eh?" Shae gawked. "Couldn't be, Elder Ngoc gave it to me herself just...four days ago."

He frowned at the page then back at Shae. "What day, specifically?"

"Uhm, what day is it today?"

"You don't know the days of the week?"

"I know them, but I have no idea what day it is. I've been on the mountain for months." She hiked a thumb behind her at the distant silhouette. "And was unconscious several times throughout. Best guess I have is that it's... October? Maybe late in the month?"

He sighed dramatically. "The mountain, sure. Great place to meet Elder Ngoc, I suppose. Today is Thursday. Which is also the day the letter is marked as being written on. Meaning you took a week to get here."

"What! No, it really has been just four days. She wrote and gave me that letter on Monday."

The two stared at each other, Shae with determination, Bai with boredom.

"A week ago!" The girl huffed, "She was probably here a week ago, surely it didn't take her three days to get to the mountain?"

"No, she left about a week and a half ago."

"What?" Shae shouted. Then tightened her lips and quickly thought it over. What could have taken her so long? She might not have flown, did she just casually walk up the mountain for a week? Shae asked herself. She had come across the wolves, at least. She remembered the playful wolf, if it was as playful with the Elder... that could explain- "Oh! Does Elder Ngoc like dogs, or wolves?"

Bai raised an eyebrow and paused. "She has been known to spend her free time on Wildthorne Peak. Home to the sect's spirit beasts. How is that relevant?"

Shae nodded and smiled in understanding. "I see. It makes perfect sense then. I am afraid to say that Elder Ngoc took a full week to reach sect territory on Pilgrim's Rest," she had learned the local name of the mountain from Auntie Mei, "and she likely lost track of time herself."

"And what could possibly have distracted a sect Elder for so long?"

"A pack of very friendly and playful spirit wolves. At least one of which was at core formation stage."

He paused with an eyebrow raised then gave the young girl a firm glare. "You honestly believe an Elder of our sect lost track of what day it was because she spent several days playing with wild dogs?"

"Ehh, wolves, but when you put it like that." Shae shrugged.

Cultivator Bai glared for a few more breaths. "Ahem. Well, knowing Elder Ngoc. That is... believable." He looked the girl up and down, a flicker of his qi passing through her. "However, your story is suspect. You were on the mountain alone?"

"Yes."

"You are barely in qi gathering, you wouldn't be able to handle the pressure."

She took a deep breath and stood taller. "Firstly, don't assume my stage. Secondly, I've completed tempering, allowing me to walk the mountain freely."

"You're what, fourteen-"

"Sixteen, almost."

He frowned and gave her a look, "Still, you can't have been cultivating that long, a year or two at most?"

Shae shifted uncomfortably and looked at the ground. "Just this summer."

He shook his head, "That's less believable. Okay, it doesn't matter how you got this letter or who you want us to believe you are, if you really are tempered, you can resist some serious qi pressure, yes? So a simple test then?"

Shae saw the smirk trying to creep onto his lips. A setup, and this seems hardly worth the trouble... unless. "Hmph. Does it matter? Elder Ngoc said there would be a reward for a fast delivery. I will admit even four days is quite slow. Do we need the pageantry? Surely you could afford a few taels."

He glanced over the letter again. "Hmmm, well you are only on the edge of a small reward. But we must confirm the truth in your story. Shake off the qi pressure of someone at body cleansing and I'll grant you it."

"That's the same stage as me, how insulting." She looked around, making a show of visually assessing people. "Pick anyone here and I'll stay standing."

"Anyone? Is that so?"

"It is, you'd need the whole lot just to knock me out, with qi pressure alone."

"Now that's a boast." He laughed, then slowed a bit when Shae wasn't laughing with him.

"You'll need to find someone at mid-core, even your Elder Ngoc had trouble."

That shut him up, briefly. His mouth formed a tight line. "Be careful how you boast. We might seek to defend your insult of our Elder."

"I wouldn't completely deny you the opportunity to even the score. You did suggest a test, better make it a good one." She wasn't sure if he would take the bait.

He shouted to the side, "Junior Chen. How goes your qi pressure practice?"

Another cultivator walked over, the one instructing the meditation. "Senior Bai. It goes well. Improvements in both stamina and strength."

"Excellent, would you mind testing this junior?"

He nodded, "Ready?"

Shae nodded and braced, expecting an impressive pressure, but felt almost nothing. She waited as he began to strain and struggle. She tilted her head and looked at Bai, "Has he started yet?"

Cultivator Bai stood up suddenly. Adding his pressure on top.

She turned back to Chen, "Ah, now I feel it. Not bad for just you." She lied, I don't want to ruin his confidence.

"Enough!" Bai shouted. "What tricks are you using? That is not qi slipping, I could tell if it was."

"Well, I said already, tempering. Could you pay me now, or whatever the reward was."

He sneered, "The specifics are out of my hands, I'll have to send it up the chain of command." Shae didn't miss the smugness in his voice. "Senior Bai?"

The older man in the chair walked over.

"You're Cultivator Bai as well? Perhaps the letter was meant for you." Shae asked and pointed.

He shrugged and grabbed the letter. A raised hand stopped the angry man from saying anything. After a short breath and a sigh he said, "Pay the girl."

"What? But Senior, she-"

"I heard the exchange, she passed your test, yes?"

"Uh, well... we didn't clearly establish the bounds of the test." He stood up straight and flattened his expression.

"Horse-shit, don't move the goal posts. You brought him over and even both of you together did nothing."

"Junior Bai, have you ever met anyone who has completed tempering so early?"

"Ugh, don't tell me you're-" Shae tried.

The older Bai raised a palm to halt further argument. "What I meant is the test was always going to be too weak."

"She claimed I could have satisfaction, I have not had it."

"Ugh, men. Always concerned about their own satisfaction."

This brought a few snickers from those pretending not to listen, and a reddened face from the lesser Bai. "You!"

Senior Bai only frowned.

"Well, this has been a thorough waste of my time." Shae declared. She looked at the older Bai. "Please tell me this circus will be worthwhile."

He glanced at the page, "The lesser reward is just coin, not a lot."

"And the greater? If your Elder hadn't set me up to fail, even unintentionally, and I had somehow arrived within the day I was given the letter?"

"No mention of same-day, but for the day after there is something. I would think many would be interested in this reward."

"Well, that gives me some hope the date mix-up was just a mix-up. She didn't intentionally make it impossible or avoid listing a reward entirely." Shae squinted at Bai. "Is the greater reward simply that you would recruit me? I've no need for such empty gestures."

This caused a gasp from lesser Bai and his junior Chen.

Elder Bai responded calmly. "Miss... Shae, was it? Why do you provoke us so? Surely this matter could have been resolved with only calm words."

Shae smirked at the man. "Why Cultivator Bai, your words are as wise as you are handsome." This got a small reaction out of the man, probably just confusion but it satisfied Shae's baser instinct to tease and prod people with prods in them, finally!

She stood tall and tried her best to shift into a less obnoxious persona. "I had been considering the Honorable Dragon's Entreaty sect for my future. Given the name, one would think you should be experts of first impressions, but instead they are a major weakness."

Bai flinched at that, glaring at the other Bai. "Surely one overworked man can't be considered adequate representation."

"The fact that you recognise he is overworked is a sign of your own flawed leadership. If he is overworked, he should be supported by his team and superiors to balance his workload and certainly not have more work directed at him simply because of a shared name." She glared at the older man to make her point.

The lesser Bai brightened up from this comment and was looking quite pleased, and vindicated? Shae wasn't sure. The Senior Bai swallowed, turned to the side and coughed roughly.

Shae continued. "However, to your point. No, I will not hold one man against you. I will hold three Elders against you. You are an Elder, yes?"

"No. Not officially. But three? Do not make petty claims."

"You would be the third, which you already know, the second I think you overheard but Elder Ngoc did worse than just forget the day in a letter. But the most grievous was who I met first. Elder Ghon Fixiu, resident of Pilgrim's Rest. Took him weeks to present a respectable face that wasn't emotionless stone. And even after... Well, I suppose I should take Bai's warning and limit my criticism."

"Weeks." Elder Bai chewed on the words. "So, directed tempering, then? You would hold that discomfort against him? Even with what you've gained from it?"

"Not at all. I asked for that, and did not complain about the pain or discomfort, even when he explained it rather poorly. I simply find his actions distasteful. So, are those three Elders good examples of your sec? Should I expect more of the same if I join?"

"Given your own attitude, why would we want you!?" Junior Chen jumped in.

"Hmm, well I do have an official invitation from Elder Ghon."

"An invitation isn't-"

"Enough Chen." Bai interrupted. "Tempering will only get you so far, and unless an Elder claims you as a disciple, an invitation isn't guaranteed entry. If you have such a thing, I would be very interested to see why he made the recommendation."

"Hmmm." Shae scrambled since she didn't have the official letter. "If you were an official elder I would have something to show you. By chance do you know the sect's messaging code? I have another encoded message that might convince you that I'm not just full of steam."

His stoic mask was nearly as strong as the old monster's. Yet, a pain in his eyes said her words had stabbed him in the gut.

He recovered after a single slow breath, and his patience for Shae had ended. A few silver taels appeared in his hand from nowhere and he handed them to her. "Here is your courier fee, Miss Shae. We will be leaving with a caravan for the sect in two days. If you do not wish to follow, I will buy out that second message. Until then, please keep away from my fellow sect members, especially the new recruits."

Knowing when a conversation was definitely over, Shae took the coins and left. She went inside the inn across the street to arrange a room. She had heard it was good, and reasonably priced. It certainly had nothing to do with it being directly opposite the square from the Honorable sect members.