"So you are the man of the Li household of Lijing Mountain — that Li family by the shores of Moonview Lake?"
Ning Wan parted her vermilion lips with these words, and the company below instantly changed countenance, one and all, muttering among themselves:
"This Li of Lijing Mountain — who ever heard the name, that the envoy deigns to ask after him personally?"
"Who can say..."
Xiao Chuting, too, cast his gaze down toward him, and gave Li Tongya a slight nod, smiling gently as he looked upon him.
Li Tongya started for a heartbeat, then lifted his eyes a little, and caught, beneath the gauze of Ning Wan's veil, the tender white of her skin and the clean, flowing line of her jaw. He answered neither abasing nor forward:
"In answer to the envoy, your servant is Li Tongya of the Li family; our Lijing Mountain stands hard by the strand of Moonview Lake."
"And what kin is that Li Chijing to you?"
At these words Li Tongya's eyes kindled with sudden light, and his heart settled; he knew full well that it must be Li Chijing who had spoken well of him within the sect. He answered with all respect:
"He is your servant's own younger brother."
Ning Wan pressed her lips in an almost-smile, and with a lift of her left hand sent a small embroidered pouch flying down, to light at rest in Li Tongya's palm. She said softly:
"This is what your brother sends you."
"Many thanks to the immortal lady!"
Li Tongya took it with all haste, and seeing the astonished eyes of the crowd upon him, could not forbear a wry smile. By nature he was one who shrank from display, and had no wish to become the focus of every gaze; he felt the eyes prickling his back like needles, and made haste to give thanks again.
Ning Wan nodded to him, and fell to speaking apart with Xiao Chuting; the two talked and laughed a little, and at the foot the assembled families had already brought up their tributes.
"In answer, Immortal Master, of the thirty-four houses of Lixia Prefecture, all are assembled!"
The serving men below, having tallied the goods, called up respectfully to Ning Wan.
"Good."
Ning Wan nodded, and turned to Xiao Chuting:
"This junior has other business in hand; since the tribute is fully paid, I will not linger longer."
"Take care on the road, envoy."
Xiao Chuting clasped his hands in salute, and smiled as he watched Ning Wan board the flying ship.
He watched the cloud vessel of rosy light rise slowly and vanish eastward beyond the sky's edge; only then did he turn his head to look down upon the company, and said in a level voice:
"All of you are old friends here. The scattered cultivators are already down the mountain; the market-fair at the foot has been open these several days, and you may all go down to trade."
"The old rule still holds. This market-fair of Crown Cloud is the property of my Xiao house, and so do us all the courtesy of your faces. Should any man here lay hands to rob, or force a buyer, he will be smashing the very stands of our house."
"It shall be so."
The company below answered in one voice and made to descend the mountain, one and all; and several came forward seeking to strike up talk with Li Tongya, and Wan Yuankai, gazing on him with envy, was about to open his mouth likewise, when Xiao Chuting gave a cough and said with a laugh:
"Young friend Tongya, would you care to converse a while with this old man?"
The men all about made haste to halt in their tracks, and Wan Yuankai shut his mouth in all haste. Li Tongya hastened to answer:
"The elder honours me. To speak with a great cultivator such as yourself — that is the good fortune of this junior!"
Xiao Chuting gave a genial chuckle and led Li Tongya into the main courtyard, where they sat down at a table of grey stone. Naturally a servant came up from behind with clear tea, and Xiao Chuting, sipping a little, said softly:
"This Crown Cloud Peak I do not often frequent, and the hospitality is bound to be somewhat rough; I pray the young friend will not mind it."
Li Tongya took up the tea and sipped, and at once felt a clear sweetness rise from the tip of his tongue, and a great clarity wash over his mind. Holding back the urge to drain the cup at a gulp, he hastened to shake his head and disclaim, stammering that he dared not presume.
"My grandson has cultivated by your brother's side on Azure Ear Peak these several years, and has spoken a few words of him to this old man."
Xiao Chuting smiled, and went on:
"Your younger brother is blessed with rare talent in the way of the sword. The peak master Si Yuanbai has said he is the first these several hundred years upon Azure Ear Peak, and cherishes him dearly."
Li Tongya had been born into a peasant household, where all men drank always from coarse earthenware bowls, and was still finding the small teacup awkward between his fingers; at these words he gave a start, and answered with a measure of surprise and delight:
"Jing-er has never spoken of such things to the family..."
"Your brother is a good boy. Have you looked within the pouch?"
Xiao Chuting, observing Li Tongya's manner, let a shade of remembrance steal into his eyes, as though he were recalling a thing grown very distant; and he smiled:
"Within it lie five spirit stones — the stipend that this child was paid out over five years. The spirit rice and spirit pills and such he must have taken for his own use; these stones, every one, he set aside and saved."
At this Li Tongya gave a start, and a pang of bitterness rose in his heart; he murmured to himself:
"Our Li house has done this child wrong."
"Ah, think not so. It is a thing of common glory and common ruin."
Xiao Chuting waved a hand, and drew it across the table; whereupon there appeared a small white jade vial. He spoke again:
"I see that you still stand at the Azure Origin Wheel of Embryonic Breathing. Here is some Clarifying Spirit Powder; use it to break through to the Jade Capital Wheel."
Li Tongya, taken quite unawares, made haste to rise and wave his hands again and again:
"Elder — this I dare not accept!"
"Take the elixir and begone; hold your noise. Your family has not so much as a Jade Capital Wheel among them, and it shames the face of Azure Ear Peak."
Xiao Chuting spoke these words flatly, knitted his brow, rose, and walked toward the inner court, flinging only two words behind him:
"See the guest out!"
---
At the foot of Crown Cloud Peak, Li Tongya smiled wryly and drew the elixir within his breast a little closer; turning to look upon Wan Yuankai's mingled expression, he spoke:
"Brother Yuankai, this market-fair — what say you..."
"Ah."
Wan Yuankai started, as though jolted from a daze, and pointed to the little path ahead by way of explanation:
"Walk with me along this road and we shall come to it. About the fair there is an illusory formation that holds the common folk at bay; do not be straying off the path."
The two walked on a while, and verily the way opened out; where the mountain track had been lonely and bare of any soul, there suddenly appeared a small gathering of folk, bustling and crowded, folk coming and going, talk rising and falling without cease.
"Brother Tongya, the clan has laid a task upon me. Let us part here, to meet again by the mountain foot come evening, and ride back together in the cart."
Wan Yuankai clasped his hands in salute to Li Tongya and smiled, then went swiftly off to the east.
Li Tongya watched him vanish into the distance, shook his head, and turned to look at a small stall by the roadside. The stall-keeper sat reading a book, a look of some difficulty upon his face; on the stand lay several talismans, a few unknown spirit objects, and several little banners.
"Are these formation banners?"
Li Tongya regarded those greyish little flags and, being wary, did not touch them with his hand, but asked instead.
"They are. The banner-fabric is of the fine hide of a Jade Capital beast, the staff of white jade wood; only eight spirit stones."
Li Tongya could not but think of those six banners his family had bought from Xiao Yuansi, and asked:
"I have heard speak of a formation banner whose fabric is the skin of the white-streaked bream and whose staff is of red birch... might I ask the price of such a thing?"
The stall-keeper gave a start at this, and the look with which he regarded Li Tongya grew a degree warmer; his tone, too, became a shade more respectful. He spoke:
"This elder, red birch is easy enough, but the skin of the white-streaked bream is a Qi Refining material. These instruments must be sold in the shops to the east; the stalls here afford only the things of Embryonic Breathing."
"I see."
A great comprehension dawned on Li Tongya, and he thought to himself:
"So it seems the price Xiao Yuansi sold to my family was a bargain after all. A formation banner of the Embryonic Breathing realm costs eight spirit stones already; that banner counted against twelve was no dear thing either."