After the morning exercises and his usual Dao essence breathing, Jiang Chen sent An'an to school, then turned outside the city walls to see Du Hu off.
Traveling far in these times was no light thing. It was soaked in the bitterness of partings that might be final.
People gathered in villages, then towns, then cities, largely because of the beasts that could not be killed to extinction — the fierce beasts and demon beasts that lurked in the wilds. Towns were safe; so were the official roads. Not that the arrays carved into the roads were foolproof — the court of Zhuang could never afford such a cost. In truth, those arrays were mostly for deterrence.
The court's more effective method was sending strong cultivators to sweep the roads at fixed intervals — officially called "plowing the land" — so that the mindless but instinct-sharp beasts learned to fear the danger and kept their distance.
With Du Hu's strength, the official roads held no real danger for him.
Jiang Chen reached the city outskirts to find Zhao Yan and Ling Chuan already there. No one else. Of the sworn brothers, Du Hu was the most gregarious, with the most friends — but he disliked weepy displays, so he had told no one about joining the army and asked Ling Chuan to spread the word after he left.
A table of wine stood in the open field. Zhao Yan's work, no doubt.
Jiang Chen drew the Four-Spirit Body Refining Art he had copied out overnight and handed it to Du Hu.
Du Hu flipped two pages, and his tiger eyes lit up. "Third brother — this is good stuff!"
"Let me see, let me see." Zhao Yan craned his neck, curious.
He read a few lines and turned away. "Body refining? That sounds exhausting."
"Such a fine art!" Du Hu shook his head in frustration. "Read a little more and you won't want to put it down."
He could see at a glance that this was a complete and evolved version of the White Tiger Body Refining Art, but he did not ask where Jiang Chen got it. When Jiang Chen wanted to speak, he would speak. Every man had his secrets — even An'an had her little private worries. There was no need to pry.
Neither did he hoard it. He loved the art at first sight and wanted his brothers to have it too.
Zhao Yan waved a hand. "Too long. Not reading."
Du Hu turned to Ling Chuan. Ling Chuan shook his head. "I'm focused on opening my meridian and stabilizing my Celestial Palace. I can't spare the attention for another art."
He was steady by nature, one step at a time. The brothers' combined Merit fell just twenty-odd points short of a Meridian-Opening Pill. Lately he took tasks day and night, but the ranked tasks were beyond his strength; more often he followed senior brothers and did odd jobs, earning a point here, two there, sometimes nothing at all. Still, he drew closer to transcendence with every passing day.
Jiang Chen smiled. "I'll be refining my body with this art too. When we meet again, we'll see who's trained deeper."
"I can't match your sword talent, but this soldier's training..." Du Hu grinned, full of confidence. "Just you wait."
"Then — see you in Xin'an!"
"See you in Xin'an."
Jiang Chen and the others were going to Xin'an for the national Academy. Du Hu would have to rise to a real general's rank in the Nine River Black Armor before he could enter the capital for martial trials.
What magnificent futures, all sketched in a few idle words between young men.
The brothers ate a few bites, traded a few lines. Except for Ling Chuan, who never drank, all three downed three bowls of wine as their farewell. No one wept.
Then Du Hu raised a bowl to the southwest and poured it out on the ground. He said nothing.
Everyone knew who he was toasting.
Du Hu was leaving through the south gate, on the official road. The little path toward the Green Willow River ran southwest.
The Nine River Black Armor's recruitment opened doors everywhere, from the Ministry of War to the academies — that army was the face of Zhuang itself. Leaving the Academy required little ceremony.
Everything that needed saying had been said. A thousand li of farewell must end somewhere.
"I'm off!"
With that, Du Hu shouldered his pack and took the road, bare-handed.
There was no wind, no rain. The clouds were breaking apart.
And autumn was running out.
* * *
Lin Zhenglun, a cadet branch of the Lin clan of Riverview City, had been making quite a name for himself lately.
First he married a widow, and people mocked him for it — but he did not care, and the couple lived happily. Within days he cracked the herbal medicine market of Maple City, which won him real respect in Riverview City, a place that lived for trade, and let him seize control of the clan's herb business.
From cadet branch to main branch — a sparrow becoming a phoenix, they said.
Only then did people realize the widow was no ordinary catch. She came with a dowry! The best-reputed herb shop in all Phoenix Creek Town.
Everyone knew Maple City's herb trade hinged on Phoenix Creek's harvest. And in Phoenix Creek, the Jiang Family Apothecary was famous far and wide, quietly leading the pack. Of course, it bore the Lin name now.
The Lin clan had schemed for years to squeeze into Maple City's market without success. No one imagined Lin Zhenglun would find his way in through a marriage. Plenty of latecomers kicked themselves — the widow was handsome, and the profits with her.
Riverview City had its Riverview Pavilion, and from its upper floor the great Clear River coiled below like a serpent-dragon.
Lin Zhenglun sat in the seat of honor, drinking with his newly made friends, basking in flattery. Life was good.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The footsteps on the stairs were unmistakable. Lin Zhenglun turned, ready to curse whoever had no sense — hadn't he rented this whole floor?
One look, and his companions were already on their feet.
"Master Lin."
"Master Lin!"
There were many young masters named Lin, but only one could make the city's notables bow and scrape: Lin Zhengli, the clan head's eldest son, the confirmed heir.
Lin Zhenglun instinctively started to rise, then forced himself to stay seated. Smiling, he said, "Brother Zhengli, what brings you to the Riverview Pavilion today? I've rented this floor — make yourselves at home, it's all on my tab."
After all, by seniority he was still this young master's elder brother. Before, he had been too lowly to count. Now, with his great merit, he had climbed into the main branch. To rank seats by generation was only proper.
He could never compete with Lin Zhengli for the heirship, but he was about to control the clan's entire herb business — he had every right to sit and speak.
At his words, the young lords behind Lin Zhengli all laughed. They were sons of powerful families, and even if their laughter made no sense, Lin Zhenglun could hardly call them on it.
Lin Zhengli himself was perfectly at ease. He bowed to Lin Zhenglun with joined hands. "Brother Zhengli is too kind."
Invited to sit, Lin Zhengli smiled. "We've rarely had the chance. Since we've met by luck today, there are a few things I'd like to discuss with my elder brother."
Lin Zhenglun glanced around smugly, as if to say: look how the future clan head respects me!
His words were modest. "You flatter me, brother. Speak freely. I'm a few years older, and I might have a little life experience to share."
"Good." Lin Zhengli smiled. "Is the herb business in Maple City well secured?"
The question hit home. Lin Zhenglun laughed heartily. "When I put my hand to something, it gets done. Watch — within two or three years, every herb in Maple City will bear the Lin name!"
"Good, good." Lin Zhengli nodded. "Then elder brother can rest easy in Autumn Garden."
"Of course—" Lin Zhenglun agreed by reflex, then his mind caught up. "Wh—what?!"
Autumn Garden had a pretty name, but it was simply where the clan retired its old and widowed. What age was Lin Zhenglun, to be sent there to live out his days?
"Don't joke, brother." Lin Zhenglun forced a smile.
Lin Zhengli's smile faded. "I never joke. The herb trade — I'll take it over myself."
The young lords who came up with him laughed again. The laughter was light, and yet it weighed a ton.
Autumn wind crossed the Clear River and slipped into the pavilion, reaching Lin Zhenglun.
He understood that he could not resist.
Only then did he feel the cold.
It was already deep autumn, he thought.