Cai Bingtian spun his body as a fulcrum, the soft rope winding around the bare barrel of his chest, the meteor hammer responding readily to his movements. A flinch up and then a kick out of his booted foot, and the copper hammer portion of the weapon flew out to hit an invisible opponent with lethal force.
He reeled the weapon back in, wrapping the rope around his wrist and elbow to turn its direction and then around his throat to get it facing the proper way to smack an invisible assailant in the face just behind his head. Practicing that over the years had given him more than one headache, that was for sure. If he had misjudged the length of the rope even for a moment, the heavy copper bell of the hammer would have hit him in the face.
The clapping might have startled a lesser practitioner, but Cai Bingtian had been practicing the Meteor hammer for nearly a decade now, and his spatial awareness was on a level rarely seen. He'd known Nie Ruyi was entering the training yard before she even rounded the corner enough to see her. The beautiful mortal woman was clapping gently, the sound barely clearing the early morning air.
"Nie-shimei!" He called, reeling the meteor hammer in, and wrapping the rope up in a loose coil around his forearm. "What brings you here this early in the morning?" He asked. It was a well-known secret that she generally didn't rise until midmorning unless awoken by her assistant, Song Fengling. Today, the woman's fine, soft brown hair was pulled up in an intricate log of buns, half of it a glistening curtain down her back. Flowers adorned the bun, with small silver chains dangling along her temples to join a pendant set at the peak of her forehead, just where her forelocks parted.
For all that her hair was fancier than normal, her clothing, however, reminded him of his own days as a junior disciple. The robes sleeves were held tight to her arm, thanks to some laced bracers made of leather, and the pants she wore were tucked into fine boots. She must have been given new clothing by the Sect Leader, so that she would be able to train effectively. When she turned those forest green eyes on him, he couldn't stop the helpless grin that spread on his face. She really was too beautiful for this world, wasn't she?
"I was going to start the day with a walk, maybe try some of that movement meditation that Song-shidi mentioned to me. Then I saw you practicing, and I couldn't help but stop by." Nie Ruyi said, her eyes darting down to the soft rope weapon still around his hand. "Is that hard to learn?"
"Oh yes. Incredibly so." Cai Bingtian admitted, hefting up the heavy hammer, and holding it out to her. She took it appraisingly, her fingers drawing over the soft curved lines of the copper hammer. "The Meteor Hammer is one of the most difficult weapons to learn, and it takes years to master. It requires the kind of focus and spacial awareness that most youngsters just don't have."
"So it would be a bad place to begin." Nie Ruyi concluded, and Cai Bingtian was once again startled by how quickly his grin came to life. She was so smart, in a different way from what he was used to.
"Yes, it would. Are you looking for a place to begin, Nie-shimei?" He asked, "Generally, new disciples start with a practice sword, or knives. Generally, they're the easiest. Or, we could start you out with hand-to-hand. Although, Lao-Shidi is much better at that than I am." Cai Bingtian laughed at his own inside joke, leaving Nie Ruyi staring at him with confused amusement.
"What would you recommend?" She asked, and he had to admit, he respected her a little, for deferring to someone with more experience.
"Me personally? I think that a sword would be the best place to start." He crossed the training grounds to the racks of weapons kept there and clean for anyone's use. He picked up one of the lighter practice swords, wood with a metal core, and handed it to her. "Start slowly, with the sword-forms. Practice them over and over until you're able to do them with your mind shut off, and your body moving on its own. If you can do that, you might be able to defend yourself on instinct alone."
"...sword forms?" She asked, tilting her head to look at him.
"Ah. You've... never held a sword before." He frowned, wondering how he could have forgotten that. "I could get you a book on the sword forms later today. And I'd really recommend joining one of the beginning classes. It's usually taken by outer sect members and initiates, but I think it'd work well for you right now. You'd have a teacher and fellow students you can practice with."
"That does sound like a good idea." She turned those jade eyes up to him again, and he almost looked away. Holding that gaze, he smiled at her instead. What was it about this woman who made his heart quiver? He'd only ever felt it with one other person, and they had become his greatest rival in recent times. Was his heart saying she too, would challenge him in ways no one else could?
"Or, you could just ask Song-shidi to teach you too. He's got quite the little crush forming." Cai Bingtian couldn't help but tease, just to see a little bit of pink rise to her cheeks.
"Yes well, he's twelve. A child, and what's worse, one who knows more than I do in this subject. I don't want to give him too big a head, you know?"
"Ah, you want to save some face for yourself. I understand." He nodded wisely, before tilting his head. "You know... I've been meaning to ask. Why do you coddle the boy so?"
Her gaze turned sharp, "What do you mean?"
"Well, you filed a formal complaint against me for sending him against the Tourmaline Grove cultivator. Song-shidi hasn't had the chance to fight against anyone truly powerful other than Lao-shidi and myself. It was invaluable experience for him, and safe enough too. So, what makes you want to protect him from something so important?" He laid it out as clearly as he could.
"...He's a child." She said, emphasizing as if he hadn't heard her the first time she'd said it. "He shouldn't be fighting anyone. Much less a grown woman capable of slaughtering other fully grown men and women."
"Oh. I see." His mind turned over this information. "At what age do people begin combat training in your world? Or are you all peasants, who learn only when drafted for a war?"
"...People in our world only learn combat training if they want to." She frowned, clearly upset with this conversation. Was violence truly so rare in her world? How enviable. "The wars there are voluntary, in most free countries. And certainly no one gets drafted until they're of age. Eighteen, usually, or older. It's considered a crime of the highest magnitude to train and use a child in a war." She lifted her head, and there was that diamond-strong will that earth spirit vein users were so known for.
"What a lovely world you must live in." He answered, and he meant it. "Here, children are taught to defend themselves from when they can walk. If they don't, they don't live to adulthood, usually. Monsters will get them, or slavers, or killers. Most don't get formal training though, so noble families train their children to defend those lower than them. Or, children join cultivation sects and learn to battle the monsters so that others don't have to."
"...How horrible... Children should have the chance to grow up. Fighting is so... damaging." Her face was clouding up, pink under her eyes and her brow drawn tight. She looked close to tears. "Children who grow up in wars or fighting for their lives turn out... wrong. Hard, and indifferent to the suffering of others. They have nightmares and stress-responses their whole lives that could just be avoided if they didn't have to fight."
He wondered how she knew all of that if her world was so perfect.
"Better that than dead," was his response.
She snorted as if she couldn't accept that. The beautiful creature was still mulling it over when the late-morning bell rang out its call to classes. "I hate to leave you so abruptly, but I have a class to teach. I'll be here training every morning around this time until I have to leave again. Do you want to join me then?" He asked, smiling. It might be fun to have a new shimei to spar with.
She nodded, a small smile showing up on her face. "Sure. That sounds lovely." Her eyes lit up as she seemed to remember something, "Oh! Would you be willing to show me around the town tomorrow? Lao-Zongzhu gave me an allowance, and there are some things I want, but I have no idea where to go. I was going to ask Lao-Shixiong, but he's in closed cultivation, whatever that means."
It meant that Lao Xiaojun had gone overboard with the pills again, and was now sweating off the after-effects somewhere within the closed compound deep on the mountain. Instead of saying that, Cai Bingtian nodded, "That sounds lovely, Shimei."
She nodded, that all settled, and then set the heavy wooden sword back on its rack. Then, with her brown hair swirling, she headed for the sect buildings again. He wondered if she would get lost. It'd be funny to see her frustrated over it all, later.
The next morning, Cai Bingtian woke bright and early, just in time to meet Nie Ruyi and her little shadow at the training grounds. Unfortunately, they weren't there to spar. Instead, he got to see Nie Ruyi dressed up all pretty like she had been the first time he'd seen her. A beautiful maiden dressed in lilacs and light blues, her green eyes ashimmer with them. Song Fengling stood beside her, and he wondered if the boy had chosen her robes specifically to match the robins' egg blue of his own. Admittedly, that was pretty sneaky.
"Good morning, Nie-Shimei, Song-Shidi." Cai Bingtian was kind of glad Song Fengling was there. Meant no one could make a fuss over him besmirching Nie Ruyi's maidenly virtue. She had a chaperone, after all. "You two ready?"
"Certainly, Cai-shixiong. Thank you for guiding us today." Nie Ruyi answered, that soft tone to her voice bringing out his smile.
"Any time. Now, what are we looking for exactly?"
Nie Ruyi pulls out a little book, bound with a twist of intriguing metal wire, on which is written the smallest characters he'd ever seen. She must have used a brush with only three hairs in it to get them that thin! "I need more clothes since two sets is a bit ridiculous. I don't know how to do laundry in this world, so it can't be helped. I also need books. I'm about to finish the only one I brought with me. I'd also like to see their market place, to see if there's anything I need that I'm forgetting about."
"A solid plan. Alright." Cai Bingtian got the lead out, beginning the hike down the mountain and towards the little town at the bottom. The path was still being built, mostly worked on by errant disciples who needed the discipline of putting rock into earth. Song Fengling hopped along beside the young woman, keeping pace with her, even as Cai Bingtian stayed a few steps behind the two of them. This gave him a wonderful view of their faces as they turned to each other to chat.
"-and I'll need to learn how toothcare is done here, too. Eventually, I'll run out of toothpaste, and I doubt you all have mint here?" It was a question that made no sense. What was toothpaste?
"We have mint. It's a medicinal herb," Song Fengling answered, as if it wasn't strange at all that she ask such a question. "I can show it to you, when we get back to the compound. Why would you need mint though?"
"When crushed, mint can freshen the breath. That, combined with a mild abrasive, like baking soda or salt, can clean teeth really well." She responded.
"Baking Soda?" Song Fengling asked, raising an eyebrow. "I've never heard of that."
"Oh, it might not exist yet. It's a type of powder that when used helps baked goods bake more evenly, I think." She shook her head, "I don't know how it's made though."
"That's weird." Song Fengling laughed, shaking his head, "What else?"
"How am I supposed to know what I'll need help with?" Nie Ruyi huffed, closing her eyes and turning back to face the path. "I most likely won't know until I run into something. It'd be nice if I could find a book on etiquette while I'm here. I doubt anything I know is polite enough for a society this repressed."
"What do you mean, repressed?" Cai Bingtian asked, unable to hold himself back now. When she glanced back at him, he found himself grinning ruefully. "The KuRong empire is one of the most peaceful and liberal countries in the world. I find it strange that you think us repressed."
"...For example," She said, raising an eyebrow. The set of her lips told him she'd taken this as a challenge, "In my country, those of opposite sex could marry. Marriages were not settled by parents, and dowries no longer existed. There were carriages that could drive themselves, and trains that moved so fast they crossed an entire country in under an hour. Marriages could be ended in a day, with no repercussions for either party, and education was a right for all, and free to those who couldn't afford to pay."
Song Fengling's face reflected the awed disbelief he shared. He couldn't help the startled laugh as he shook his head. "What a wonderland you live in. And I suppose you'll tell me next there's no war, and food is so abundant that no one goes hungry."
Her face darkened and she looked away, "I didn't say that. Wars still happen. People are still taken advantage of. Hunger still takes people, and exposure. My world isn't perfect, Cai-shixiong. It's just... different. I said repressed because if this world is as I think it is... My world had a time period similar. I hope that this world proves to be different, since that time period was a horrible one to live in for everyone but the richest. However, so far... I have seen little to say it is."
"And what was this time period like, for those who lived in it?" Cai Bingtian asked, helpless against the curiosity tugging at his chest.
She pursed her soft, painted lips, and tilted her head just a bit to the left. It was an adorable expression, "Well... for the poor, it was a time of starvation, death and disease. People died because of corrupt officials, keeping back the needed food out of greed. In the upper reaches of society, nepotism and corruption run rampant. Talented people are killed or exiled because they threaten someone in power.
"Women and children, especially were treated foully in that time. Women had no true self-reliance. A woman's property was the property of her husband or father or brothers or sons, and unless she was a widow, she was under someone else's control her entire life. She could be sold off to a brothel at any time, with no say so on her own part. Men were allowed harems but if women were so much as implied as having an affair, they could be killed. Often they weren't educated at all beyond being able to write their own names."
Cai Bingtian was surprised by the amount of words she had for this subject, and she wasn't done.
"Women were pitted against each other in harems, to keep the attention of a man who didn't deserve any of them. Children were pitted against each other by the mothers, in hopes that they would bring the attention of the man to them, and it's a joke! No one wins in that situation. The man doesn't even win, because how can he be sure any of the women truly love him and the children they bore him if they're constantly forced to spend their attention fending off attacks by others who are jealous for his attentions too?! And what's worse, it completely erases the fact that these people could have a healthy, safe polyamorous relationship, if they'd just communicate with each other, and be willing to make compromises!
"It leaves those who don't fit into the heteronormative narrative even worse off! Gay men often ended up having to hide their relationships, pretending just to be Sworn Brothers, or close friends, instead of being able to safely and happily marry those that they love. And gay women were wiped out of existence, never to be acknowledged. Those that fit in neither role, as man or woman, were either reviled, destroyed, ignored, or forced to fit into the mould."
She was breathing heavily at this point, clearly upset, and even Song Fengling looked overwhelmed by what she was saying. Cai Bingtian lifted a hand, settling it gently on her shoulder. "Are... you alright?"
"I'm fine." She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and stared impassively at him. "My point is, the time period that resembles this world, the one I know of, is full of death, corruption, and pain for all involved. We had moved past quite a bit of what I described and into a society with its own faults and issues, certainly, but one that at least learned from its mistakes."
"I see." Cai Bingtian's head was abuzz, unable to parse through most of what she said. "It must be frightening for you, to be here."
"..." She gaped at him, green eyes wide and mouth ajar. "I...no? Maybe? It's... not frightening, really... just..." He hadn't moved his hand from her shoulder, and she seemed to shrink, to curl into it. "Everything is so uncertain now. I'm told I'll never go home, and that I have to get used to living here... but how am I supposed to do that? If this world is anything like the one I described... How do I just... live there?"
A heavy sort of silence fell over the three of them, their steps and breath the only sounds. He slowly removed his hand, and she turned away, facing down the path and towards the now-visible town-limits. It was Song Fengling who broke the silence, jumping ahead of them and turning to stand in Nie Ruyi's path. She stopped, startled, and Cai Bingtian stopped next to her.
The boy's face had a rueful determination on it, and he picked up her hand, holding it to his chest with both of his. Cai Bingtian's eyebrows shot up, surprised by this sudden boldness. "Don't worry, Nie-Shijie! I'll help you feel at home here, and we'll make a good life for you here!"
Cai Bingtian bit back a laugh by turning it into a startled cough, turning away from the two of them and cough-laughing into his hand. This boy! A proposal, so quickly! Ah, to be young again.
Nie Ruyi smiled, and ruffled his hair, which must have been frustrating for the young cultivator. "Thank you, Song-shidi. You're incredibly sweet. I'm sure with a friend like you by my side, I'll be able to live here happily."
Oof. Cai Bingtian could see her gentle reframing of his declaration work on the young boy. His face fell, and then mustered itself back into hopeful determination. "Mn."
His agreement made Cai Bingtian chuckle again, and the three of them walked into the sparsely crowded streets of Guojian town.
The heaviness of their conversation fled at the sight of street-stalls and buildings. Nie Ruyi gasped as if she'd never been in a marketplace before, and bolted forward in a sort of jogging-run. Song Fengling followed after, trying to keep vigil against the bandits and evil inherent to such places. Cai Bingtian followed sedately through the lazy crowds.
Once Nie Ruyi was caught in thrall at a glass-blowers workshop, set up near a blacksmith's forge, Cai Bingtian caught up. "So, we need a clothier, a bookseller, and what else?"
Nie Ruyi looked away from the molten glass being forged into beads, and at him. Being caught under the regard of those eyes made his stomach flip. "...I'm not sure honestly. All I own right now are the few things I was able to bring with me. I don't know what I might need."
"Well, lets see... you'll need talisman paper, a writing set... Probably a tea set too." Cai Bingtian started listing off the things he'd had to procure during his time as a disciple. "Linens, if you want something other than the bare basics the Sect will provide-"
"AH!" The sound burst from her, startling both Nie Ruyi and Cai Bingtian. "Pillow! I need a pillow and thicker blankets. The quilts here aren't near thick enough with no heating in that room, and it got so cold last night!"
Cai Bingtian blinked, frowning, "Ah, was the kang not lit?"
"Kang?" Nie Ruyi blinked. "I... have no idea what that is."
"I'll show you when we get back, Nie-shijie." Song Fengling's concern dripped from his face as he stared at her. Cai Bingtian didn't blame him, since that was quite pitiful. Any child born in the cold north, or in the mountains, knew to light the fires below their bed, to warm it. No wonder she'd been so cold.
"So, linens, a tea set, a writing set, probably a sewing set as well... Ah, you should definitely get a qi set if you can." Seeing the confusion on her face, he elaborated, "It's a game. I'll show you."
He guided her through the softly moving crowds, and their path lead them to a mixed-goods seller. The man had a blanket lain on the ground with various things displayed, and while Cai Bingtian didn't see anything worth stopping for, Nie Ruyi obviously did. She squatted down next to the blanket, her robes dragging on the ground like a child.
She pawed through the man's wares, picking up hairpins, bowls, and poorly repaired teacups one at a time and looking them over. She would pick it up, turn it over in her small hands and then set it down, gently. When she found a fan, she picked it up, and spread the tines, showing off the amateur painting of a river climbing through mountains. She seemed awed by this, and Cai Bingtian couldn't stand it.
"Hey, there are better-made fans to be found, don't buy this stuff. It's two good swings from falling apart." He chided, knowing she was going to get ripped off.
She looked up at him and frowned. Contrarily, she took out a coin, barely looking at it, and handed it to the man, "I'll take this fan. Thank you."
Then, she stood, brushing the dirt off her hems, and started walking again, the fan clutched in her hand over her breast, as if protecting her heart. Cai Bingtian sighed, shaking his head, following after without commenting on the man's awed eyes. She'd overpaid, he was sure of it. And probably by a lot, based on his face.
"That was a lot more than the fan was worth, Nie-Shijie..." Song Fengling said, gently. "You have to be careful. People will rip you off."
"...That man's clothes... They were ripped and dirty. He was clearly poor. These are probably items he found along the road, and he's selling them to get money to pay for food for his family. Any overpayment on my part, puts food in the mouths of his children." She explained with a patience that made Cai Bingtian frown.
"...Or he purposely dirtied and ripped that set of clothes to garner sympathy from kind souls such as yourself." He challenged.
"I'd rather bet my money on him needing help, than on him being a scoundrel." Nie Ruyi turned her nose up, before pausing. "Ah. That says 'books' doesn't it?" She pointed to a sign hanging over a shop.
"Well, yeah, but it also says lending shop." Song Fengling nodded, following along as Nie Ruyi went inside. Cai Bingtian followed into the crowded shop interior, shelves pushing them into a single line all along the room. Nie Ruyi was a smudge against the dark interior, even as she pulled things from the shelves to examine them.
Cai Bingtian found boredom overtaking him, even as he too pulled books and crockery from the shelf. A few dictionaries, some Buddhist texts inexpertly transcribed, one or two cultivation manuals. He scrubbed a finger through a few pages, just to see if it was dangerously false. He didn't immediately notice anything, although he knew the book was heavily watered down. No sect would allow their techniques to escape to the masses so easily, not when outer disciples brought money with them, and inner disciples earned prestige that could be used to build the sect's political influence.
"Can you direct me to your fiction section? Adventure novels, specifically." He heard Nie Ruyi ask over the dusty quietude of the shop. When he looked up, the proprietress (an aging woman, with a single jade hairpin as her only adornment, her robes as aged as she was, and in poor repair) was pointing to a small alcove of books. Nie Ruyi thanked her and headed that way, Song Fengling following like a duckling.
However, standing in the narrow walkway was a young woman, her hair done up in an intricate, gravity-defying set of loops. Cai Bingtian couldn't make out her face, but he could see how Nie Ruyi's shoulders tensed. The woman cleared her throat, which should have, by rules of etiquette, at least have gotten the maiden's attention.
"Meimei, I think the young lady is trying to view those shelves." Another voice called, over the quiet din of the bookstore. It appeared to belong to a young man who was revealed when the young woman turned to look over her shoulder at Nie Ruyi. A feeling like a dollop of honey into a glass of hot milk fell into his stomach, and Cai Bingtian pasted on a grin.
"Liang-xiong! Sect Heir Liang! What a pleasure to see you both!" He stepped up behind Nie Ruyi, crowding her and Song Fengling closer to his old friends.
Like a flower to the sun, Liang Lanlan turned, her eyes widening and her smile drawing across her face, when she caught sight of him. She'd always worn such a bright smile for him, honestly. It made something in his chest squeeze. Her brother, Liang Zilin, was smiling at him too, the lazy grin he'd always worn back during their days as disciples together.
"Shixiong!" Liang Lanlan cried, pushing roughly past Nie Ruyi in order to stand in front of him. This, of course, sent Nie Ruyi wobbling into a bookshelf, which sent several fat tomes falling to the ground with loud thumps. The bookseller cried out, annoyed at this, and Cai Bingtian looked over his shoulder to wave a sorry.
"Cai-shidi shows up in the strangest places!" Liang Zilin chuckled, holding out a hand for Nie Ruyi. Cai Bingtian watched out of the corner of his eye as she took his hand, a frown deeply set on her face. "Apoligies, beautiful jiejie, my sister is careless when Cai Bingtian is involved."
"Apologies accepted." Nie Ruyi mumbled, although Song Fengling at her side looked mutinous. "This one is Nie Ruyi. My companion is Song Fengling. You clearly know Cai Bingtian."
"Ah, we do. This one is Liang Zilin of Furtive Jade Sect. The young one there is my little sister, Liang Lanlan, Sect Heir. A pleasure to meet you, Nie-Jiejie, Song-didi."
"Song Fengling of Severing Firefly Sect." Song Fengling growled out, and for a moment, Cai Bingtian wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or cry. Why did these two sects have to hate each other so much? ah, right, it was technically his fault, wasn't it...
"Song-shidi." Nie Ruyi chided, finally able to turn to the bookshelf and look for herself.
"Cai-Shixiong!" Liang Lanlan called again, and Cai Bingtian had to focus on her darling little face. As round and beautiful was it was before he left, her cultivation glowing beneath her forever-youthful skin. She smiled, her lips rouged a sweet pink.
"Hello, Lanlan-shijie. How have you been?" He offered her, smiling the sweetest smile he knew. "Well, I hope?"
"Mn! But I've missed you." She reached out, tugging at his sleeve like a lost child. She was trying to be cute, to incite his protective instincts, he was sure. Sadly, she was very cute, and so it worked.
"Ah, I should have written more often. This Shixiong of yours is sorry." He tilted his head, lifting a hand to pick up a lock of her hair from her shoulder. He placed a gentle kiss on it, causing a blush to flare in her cheeks. She really was adorable.
"Instead of writing, just come home." She tugged at his sleeve again. "I'm Sect Heir. I can make them forgive you for running off. They'd never judge my husband."
It was an offer she'd made a million times. Even back when they were children, before she had the title, before he'd run away, she'd say things like this. He gave her the same indulgent smile he'd given her then, letting the lock of hair slide out of his fingers.
"I couldn't take away the Sect's perfect orchid." His assertion brought her giggling, and he almost missed Nie Ruyi's eyes on him, her brows drawn down. She was giving him a hard stare, the kind that spoke of disapproval. "I'm escorting my new shimei through supplying herself. She came to us from a long ways off, and had little with her when she did. A surprise trip, you know how it is. So we're trying to find her things she might need."
Instantly, he saw the storm on Liang Lanlan's face as she turned to meet this 'new shimei'. As if knowing she was being sized up, Nie Ruyi squared her shoulders and gazed back unconcernedly.
"Ah, how sad. What tragedy, when one loses the things familiar." Liang Zilin said, his face turning towards Nie Ruyi, his eyes assessing as well.
"Yes, well. When one is called to help, one goes speedily." Nie Ruyi stated, crossing her arms over her bust. However, the movement wasn't boastful, the way it might be on someone else. Her shoulders were hunched, and Cai Bingtian felt an intense need to rescue her. He turned, his back pressing against the bookshelf. "Sect Heir Liang, Liang-shidi, perhaps we should take our reunion outside. Nie-Shimei is looking for books for her collection, and will need a few moments of quiet."
That turned the Liangs attention back to him, and he was both loathing of it and thankful for it. Eventually, he corralled them outside into the dusty streets of the little town. Liang Lanlan pressed herself against his side in a touch that wouldn't be appropriate even with her brother there. He laughed nervously, rubbing at the back of his neck and wishing he could disappear into the almost-non-existant crowd.
"Is Cai-shixiong doing well there? Do those mountain hicks treat you well?" Liang Lanlan demanded, her brows drawn in sadness. "I will be incredibly cross with them, if they mistreat you."
"No, no. This Bingtian is treated very well there. Severing Firefly Sect has been quite beneficial. I've learned a lot, and honestly, feel very welcome there." He answered, not lying. Although, even if he'd been trampled on and tortured, he'd still have said the same thing to her.
"...And you really don't want to come home? If you'd just marry me, I could protect you. You'd never have to worry about anything-"
"Lian-shimei." He stopped her, leaning just a little down to look at her closer, to let her think he was telling her a secret. "I like worrying about things, remember? It's how I think. I need space to make, to create, to live. You know that."
Her face crumpled, and he hated seeing that expression. It reminded him of the time one of her lessons was evading her understanding, and he remembered how she'd sunk her teeth into the problem and worried it for days until she'd finally come back to the class with a solution.
Liang Zilin saved him, setting a hand on his sister's shoulder and drawing her into his side. "Well, we'll at least be able to spend a little time with our favorite shidi. Lanlan is meeting with Sect Leader Lao to discuss some recent activity in the woods near our borders."
Ah, the Dragon Incident then. Cai Bingtian supposed he'd probably be included in some of those meetings, then. He gave a vacant smile, knowing that Liang Zilin was probably hoping for some tidbits from him.
"Are you supposed to meet her soon?" He asked, instead.
"Ah, we're not supposed to arrive before tomorrow morning, but we got here early." Liang Lanlan said, her mood not quite cleared.
"Then you should spend the afternoon with us! I'm sure you'll have fun." He offered, before his mind could catch up with his mouth. He really did miss them, though, so he would forgive himself.
"Yes!" Liang Lanlan jumped on the opportunity, and of course Liang Zilin went along with her.
Nie Ruyi interrupted their conversation a few moments later, stepping out of the shop with her arms full of three volumes. Her little shadow trailed after her, close enough that they could touch if she stopped too fast. Cai Bingtian had to snort a little at how eager the kid was.
"Did you find anything good?" Cai Bingtian asked, his grin splitting his cheeks.
"I did." Nie Ruyi stated, her tone quiet and queenly. "Have you located a clothier?"
He raised an eyebrow. He was supposed to be doing that? He hadn't realized. Although, he supposed he did tell her he would guide her. So, instead of saying he'd forgotten, he stood up straight and jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "This way. Oh, and we'll be guiding Sect Heir Liang and her brother to the Sect Compound too, so they're going to join us for the day."
Nie Ruyi raised her own eyebrow this time, before her eyes swept over the two in front of her. Song Fengling made a scoffing soft of sound, and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Why are they coming?" He demanded, and Cai Bingtian almost sighed. Had he been less aware of the tension, he might have.
"I just said. They have a meeting with Lao-Zongzhu, so we're going to guide them." He explained again, slowly, as if the boy was slow himself.
He got the implication, even if no one else was rude enough to comment. His face darkned in a glower, and Cai Bingtian internally sighed. He'd have to smooth that over later.
The four of them fell into step behind him when he started their journey to the clothier. The streets narrowed as he guided them to the auntie who took in his own uniforms whenever he got a new set. Pushing open the door to her shop, he lead them into the shelves and shelves of fabric, and weaved through the standing manikins displaying the cuts and styles she worked in.
"Auntie Teng!" He called, and sure enough, the old woman was seated at the table, sewing industriously on something. When she got up, he grinned, "This lovely young shimei of mine, Nie Ruyi, needs a new wardrobe. The Sect will be footing the bill, as usual, but put it under my name, instead of hers." He winked at Nie Ruyi, who looked bewildered. He could practically feel Liang Lanlan glaring at them from behind him.
"Lao Minghui gave me some money," Nie Ruyi protested, "I can pay for it myself."
"Ah, but why should you, when the Sect can pay for it instead! they make more money than we disciples do for certain." He lectured, before turning back to Auntie Teng, who most certainly was giggling at him. "And only the most fashionable cuts, of course. She's new to the area, and must make a proper debut, you know."
"Ooooh, is she?" Auntie Teng answered, her voice gravelly and old. "A-Ping, A-Jun! Come take the girl's measurements!"
Out of seemingly nowhere, two young girls appeared. Cai Bingtian knew that Xiao Ping and Nue Jun were 15 and 12 respectively, both old enough to know the craft well. The two tugged Nie Ruyi, spluttering and stumbling, into a back room.
"I'll get something too!" Liang Lanlan declared, following the two little seamstresses and their confused bundle back. Leaving the three men alone with Auntie Teng and the fabric-strewn manikins.
"What lovely ladies today." Auntie Teng commented, "Tea, gentlemen?"
"I'll serve, Ayi!" Song Fengling declared, and the old woman nodded, showing him to the tea set, and the cistern full of fresh water. Cai Bingtian helped Auntie Teng back to her seat, before taking his own as Liang Zilin did. When Song Fengling served the tea, Auntie Feng took a small sip and made an appreciative sound.
"How have things been with the Sect, hm?" Autie Teng began, and Cai Bingtian smiled gently.
"Well, Auntie. Lao-Zongzhu is, as always, a wise and kind Sect Leader, and we haven't gotten into any trouble recently. Nie Ruyi has joined, recently, and we're still looking forward to the outer disciple selection exams in a few months. Are either of your girls planning to attend?"
"Ah, A-Ping does not wish to, but A-Jun might." Auntie Teng gestured, "An adventurous girl, that one. She would not settle well in the life of a seamstress. It would rub at her, leave blisters instead of callouses."
"I'll be happy to recommend her, if she shows up to the test." Cai Bingtian smiled, "Any granddaughter of Auntie Teng has to be talented." He sipped at the tea again, and had to admit that Song Fengling was rather talented at making tea. Either he'd had a lot of practice as a disciple, or he'd been well-bred and well-raised.
However, the tea was soon startled out of his hand as shrieks went up from the room where A-ping, A-jun and Nie Ruyi were. He ignored the growing wetspot on the table and stormed towards the noises, calling out, "Nie-Shimei? Ping-mei, Jun-mei?"
"Here! It's back here! Help!" came a young voice, probably Jun.
That was all the confirmation he needed that something was wrong, and with Song Fengling on his heels, they burst into the room. Chaos, in a word, was happening in that room. Cai Bingtian scanned his eyes through the din to try and figure out the source of the chaos.
Nie Ruyi was bent over, her entire back exposed and bare, as robes fell around her elbows. He couldn't see her face or what she was doing, but it was clear she was talking to something. Liang Lanlan was screaming at her, her sword in hand, as she tugged her own robe back up her shoulder. The two maids were cowering in the corner, and Cai Bingtian had an idea now of what was going on.
"It's okay." Nie Ruyi's steady, calm voice was a low undertone to the din, and he focused on her. "No need to be scared. You just wandered in, and got lost, hm? Cmon. I'll help you get out of here, okay? Just... lemme-"
And suddenly a flurry of movement was followed by an outraged shriek. Nie Ruyi's arms jerked and moved as she yanked up whatever it was she'd been standing in front of. She turned, and Cai Bingtian registered the squirming bundle of cloth in her arms as the only thing hiding her chest. Her jade eyes widened at the sight of him, and then panic set onto her features.
"GET OUT!" She shrieked, and then the bundle in her arms started squirming even harder, and Cai Bingtian could see something begin to glow from inside it. Which was never a good sign. A fold in the fabric shifted when Nie Ruyi tried to heft it up higher, and a tentacle punched through, waving wildly. Thorns littered it's length, and tenderils of what appeared to be leaves and vines made up it's length. With terror, he realized that this was worse than he'd thought it to be. This was no rat or small fox that had gotten indoors.
"Nie-shimei," he put on his best calm, coaxing voice, unintentionally mimicking her own tone from earlier, "I need you to put that down, and step away from it. That's an Ochre Misery Fern, and it is incredibly poisonous. You've got it agitated, and if it stings you, you're going to regret it."
"I've got it agitated?! You two are the ones who pulled swords on it!" Nie Ruyi hissed, moving gently out of the way of the swinging tentacle. "All of you, get out of the way so I can take it outside. It's just scared!"
"Just scared?! It's a monster!" Liang Lanlan cried, completely ignoring the hushed tones of both Cai Bingtian and Nie Ruyi's voices. "Kill it!"
Cai Bingtian watched her little push with her sword, as if to mimic stabbing the creature, and then turned to Nie Ruyi. The disgust on Nie Ruyi's face was plain as day. "No, I am not going to kill it. You know, dogs were monsters too, before humans took care of them and made them friends. Now, get out of my way, please."
Without really thinking about it, Cai Bingtian found himself gently pushing Song Fengling (and apparently Liang Zilin? when did he get there?) back into a corner of the hallway so the half-naked woman could pass with her poisonous bundle.
Things went well, as Nie Ruyi took the creature past Auntie Teng, and through the manikins of the shop. Then, Cai Bingtian realized where she was going. Scrambling forward, he snatched the back of her shoulder, and tugged her back. "Wait! You can't go outside like that?!"
Nie Ruyi jerked back, startled by Cai Bingtian's sudden touch, and Cai Bingtian had a moment where time slowed before all hell broke loose. He watched Nie Ruyi's arm toss back, to throw off his hand, her face scrunching in panic. He watched as she let go of one portion of the fabric to do so, causing more tentacles to burst through.
These tentacles swung wildly around the shop, and Nie Ruyi swayed out of the way of them and before Cai Bingtian could do more than cry out in warning, slid her fingers along the vines. "shhhh, sh sh. It's okay. It's okay." She kept her voice soft and gentle, the way one would talk to a child, and the vines slowed.
The gathered eyes watched as she slid her hand into the bundle of blankets, her arm moving as the only indication of what she was doing. "That's it. That's it, calm down now... You're alright. Ah, nope, no nipping, now. You're safe. I won't let these cultivators harm you, alright? Shhhh."
The creature's cries, once piercing clicks, were slowing and quieter now, tiny whistles that didn't seem to make any sense. But the smile on Nie Ruyi's face told him she didn't need them to make sense. "That's right, I'm going to take you outside. Now, settle in, okay?"
At her word, the creature's tendrils slid back into the fabric, and she closed it up. Then, she turned a glower on all of them. "Do you see that? It's perfectly reasonable! Poor thing is just scared, so just back off a little okay?"
Cai Bingtian found himself taking a bewildered step backwards. Giving him a nod, Nie Ruyi turned back around and strode to the door. As she stepped through, he felt Liang Lanlan and Liang Zilin come up on either of his sides.
"Does she do this often?" Liang Zilin asked, his voice tilting into amusement.
"I don't know. I've only known her two days." Cai Bingtian huffed, only to grunt as Song Fengling pushed past him to get to (his ward? Teacher? Friend?) her side.
"She's insane." Liang Lanlan chided, "That thing could turn her into literal sludge. Why is she taking this chance?!"
"I don't know." Cai Bingtian reiterated, before following Song Fengling's example.
They spread out around the porch of the little store, even as Nie Ruyi bent down, opening the fabric. "There you go, little one." She chirped, giving the sentient vines a sweet smile. "Now, don't wander into stores again. I know the fabric looks like pretty flowers, but they really aren't, alright?"
Cai Bingtian's heart did a terrified little jump when she smoothed her hand over the top of the vines, as if petting down unruly hair. But what truly startled him was that the vines reached up, wrapping around her wrist and tugging her hand gently back to the vines when she tried to lift it. She laughed a sweet laugh, and pet the vines again. "Having trouble letting go, hm?"
"Nie-shijie? What are you doing?" Song Fengling asked, his voice quiet, reverent almost.
"Oh? Making a friend, I suppose." She smiled, "It's very friendly once it's not scared."
Cai Bingtian could see Liang Zilin mouth 'friendly' at him, incredulously. He shrugged, having no idea what the other-worlder was doing. When Nie Ruyi tried to one-handedly fix her robes, Song Fengling stepped in to pull the shoulders up, carefully looking up at the sky instead of her. The vines crawled into her lap, settling against her stomach and glowed gently.
"Aww. Do you want to come home with me, little guy?" Nie Ruyi asked, "You remind me of a cat, a little... Ah, I'd love to take you home. I miss having pets... But what even do you eat?"
"People." Liang Zilin burst, and when Nie Ruyi looked at him, startled, he shrugged, "Well, anything really. It tends to kill things to leave at it's roots, so that it can decay into rich soil. So, animals, people, demons if it can get big enough."
"Ohhhh, so you just need good soil!" Nie Ruyi turned back to it, and Cai Bingtian was startled to see there was no hesitation, "I know some tricks for that. That should work just fine. So, what to name you..."
"You're seriously taking a monster back to your sect compound?!" Liang Lanlan stared, one brow raised and moutha agape.
Nie Ruyi looked up at her, nose crinkling. "Of course not. I'm bringing home a houseplant. That's all." She turned back to the vines with a sniff. "Hmmm... a name... a name... What'd you say the name of this species is?"
"Ochre Misery Fern." Song Fengling supplied, and Cai Bingtian was a little impressed with the boy's memory. To have heard it once, in a stressful situation, and memorise it? That took talent.
"I see. ...Missy then. You'll be Missy."
"Misi?" Liang Lanlan clarified, "What as strange name..."
Nie Ruyi looked up and smiled, "Where I come from, it means "Young lady". but it could also be short for Misery."
Liang Zilin's brows rose, and Cai Bingtian had the odd thought that he might be impressed. "You intend to raise the monster?"
"Houseplant," Nie Ruyi corrected, "and yes." Her hands hadn't stopped stroking the vines since it had crawled into her lap. The glow off the creature was growing, and she chuckled, "You seem happy, Missy. Cmon, let's go back inside. I have to buy some clothes, but you can stay in my arms the whole time, alright?"
It made a clicking sound, and then Nie Ruyi stood up. The small, contented smile on her face squeezed at Cai Bingtian's heart as she passed by him.
"Well, look who's finally out of secluded cultivation!" Cai Bingtian crowed when opening the door revealed his favorite shidi. The younger man glowered down at him, before stepping back to reveal the rest of the room as well. That was what Cai Bingtian got, he supposed, for being so late to a meeting with the Sect Leader. Lao Xiaojun was incredibly protective of his sister's time.
"Ah, Cai-shidi. Thank you for coming." Lao Minghui said from behind her desk, tea steaming at her elbow. "Please, come in and settle yourself. Xiang Yun, if you could."
The glorified-secretary nodded and poured an eighth cup of tea on the long table. Cai Bingtian sat himself down in front of the cup, and looked over everyone. Liang Lanlan and her brother seemed keyed up over something, and Lao Xiaojun was similarly affected by whatever they'd been discussing before he'd come. Lin Baiwei sat, back straight, the bandages still covering her face over the now-missing eye. Her arm was still in a sling, which reminded him of how hard she'd fought to defend the camp while he and the others had gone on the diplomatic portion of their failed mission. Song Fengling sat next to her, sweating nervously, his hands in his lap and his back, too, was ramrod straight. Poor child, he looked so uncomfortable in this room full of Senior Disciples and Sect Heads.
"So, what did I miss?" Cai Bingtian asked, prompting them to fill him in.
"We were just discussing the events of the recent mission. Sect heir Liang was curious as to what happened to the Dragon. I've called you all here to help give our report." Lao Minghui explained, raising a delicate hand to draw her tea cup to her mouth.
"Oh." The Dragon's fate was a bit... sad, honestly. Once the adrenaline rush had left, he'd found himself lamenting that he hadn't been able to see the creature alive.
"I was just about to have Lin-shimei explain the beginning of the mission." Lao Minghui continued, once she'd put her tea down. "Lin-shimei?"
Lin Baiwei stood, leaning one hand on the table, to hold her weight. "In response to the Dragon's incursions into our lands, we had set up a camp at the borders of the Forest. Fifty disciples accompanied me, and the camp had been in place for a total of seven months. During that time, we rotated in and out new disciples on the weekly. During that time, we lost no less than 66 disciples to the creature, and another 131 civilians. That doesn't include the sheer amount of cattle and sheep that local farmers lost, or the decimation of the large game population within the forest."
"Gods above..." Liang Lanlan breathed, eyes wide. Cai Bingtian was pretty sure she'd been keeping track of the deathtoll on their side of the border, but she clearly couldn't have known how deadly the beast had been to theirs.
"Upon totaling the losses, our sect summoned an expert in the beast's species. Nie Ruyi was an immense help in providing not only information about the beast but also in providing an option for diplomacy." Lao Minghui explained, before holding up a sheaf of papers. "Her report of the incident is a matter of public record at this time, and can be copied for either of you, should you so wish."
Cai Bingtian wondered how edited it was. Clearly Lao Minghui was avoiding telling the Furtive Jade Sect that they'd summoned a girl from another world.
"Why would you continue policing the creature after such losses?" Liang Lanlan asked, "Why not simply put up a barrier and avoid the damned forest? Surely it would starve it out?"
Cai Bingtian, having been privy to the chaos infectingf the sect during this time, wondered how the Sect Leader would avoid losing face in her answer.
"We could not be certain the creature would starve. Dragons have been known to go into deep periods of sleep and wake centuries later, ravenous. We could not chance that the sects would forget it's existence and cause a calamity down the road." Lao Minghui smoothed over, picking up her tea again. What a great answer. It made the Severing Firefly sect seem filial and forward-thinking. Cai Bingtian was impressed.
Lin Baiwei took over, "After the expert arrived, she, Lao-shidi, Song-shidi and myself went on a scouting mission, to confirm the expert's identification of the beast and to attempt diplomacy with the beast."
Here, she paused and gestured to Lao Xiaojun, who stood with a grunt as she sat. "Nie Ruyi's information proved useful. The creature confronted us, and with the mental and spiritual protections that Nie-shimei suggested, we withstood it's mental attacks. Attempting negotiations was difficult, but upon connecting on an emotional level with the beast, it gave us a 24 hour period within which to draft our first round of negotiations. We returned to camp, and in the morning, I, Lin Baiwei, and Cai Bingtian went to deliver the negotiations to the beast."
With a nod, he passed it back to Lin Baiwei, who stood. "At this point, we have determined that an unknown Tourmaline Grove disciple was on route as well. We are unsure what her objective was, but she made contact with our camp approximately a shichen from when our diplomatic party left camp. According to the only survivor to have seen her arrival, she emerged from within the forest, in a similar direction to the one we left in. Our working theory at this point is that she encountered the dragon and severely injured it. This explains the condition Nie-shimei and Song-shidi found it in, later.
"Upon contact with our camp, the Tourmaline Grove Disciple began indiscriminately attacking our disciples. Of the fifty disciples we had at the camp, only twelve survived. Of those twelve, nine are permanently crippled, and two are in a coma. She intended to wipe all of them out, to get rid of any witnesses. During the massacre, she spotted Nie-shimei and Song-shidi escaping into the woods and abandoned her attempts at genocide and followed them. Song-shidi can explain more about this."
Song Fengling jumped, clearly having not expected to be allowed to speak in this room filled with giants. Cai Bingtian had a moment of sympathy for the kid as he jolted into standing.
"N-Nie-shijie and I ran, on her insistance, and headed into the woods. She thought that if we could get the dragon to protect us, we could survive. But... when we ran into the dragon, she was... The dragon was near-dead. She'd been hung in the branches... and blood dripped everywhere..." The boy's face grew clouded, and Cai Bingtian wondered if he was seeing the red everywhere, or if he was hearing the flipping of the droplets. "Nie-shijie noticed it was still alive, and begged it to give us a place to hide. Wh-when... When it said that it didn't care about us, that it was lamenting the future death of its child, its egg, Nie-shijie swore to care for the dragon's egg as if it were her own child."
It was clear this had affected the child greatly because he sighed a little, shaking his head. "The dragon agreed, and using its control over the flora, led us to a cliff. Nie-Shijie said that the Dragon's lair would be in the cliffside." Here he paused, pain showing on his face clearly. The young boy closed his eyes, and his shoulders drew up by his ears.
"I'm not strong enough to carry another person on my sword. So Nie-Shimei had to climb down the vines on the cliff. And when we got to the opening of the cliff, she wasn't able to climb around to get in safely. So, she had me push her when she dropped, so that she'd land inside the cave. ...but I pushed too hard. She... She hit her head, and wouldn't wake up for a while."
"Has she been treated?" Liang Zilin asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course. Nie-shimei has been looked over. As a mortal, she will have a slow road to recovery, but she is on her way." Lao Minghui explained, before gesturing to Song Fengling to sit down. the boy did so, and the Sect leader took over from there. "Song-shidi and Nie-shimei hid in the caves for a while, while the Tourmaline Grove disciple tracked them. Luckily, before she realized the cliff was carved into, A-Jun and his party found her. They drove her off, and rescued Song Fengling and Nie Ruyi."
"So she got away?" Liang Lanlan frowned, and Cai Bingtian remembered that expression from when they were little and she'd find something missing from her lunch. It usually precluded her going and fetching the thing while yelling at the one who forgot it.
"Yes, unfortunately." Lao Minghui smiled gently, giving a gesture that could mean 'such is life' or 'we're working on it'. "So, that concludes the report. At this time, the Dragon is slain, its body is being laid to rest by our sect. The forest should begin recovering soon, and the local towns have been compensated on our side of the border."
A subtle way of saying that they weren't paying for any damages on the Furtive Jade side. Cai Bingtian had to admit he really did admire Lao Minghui's ability to handle business. He tuned out the rest of the meeting, which was mostly the banter and sly negotiations that made up any meeting for Sect Higher Ups. He was so glad he'd gotten out of that game before the Furtive Jade Sect Leader could have forced that onto his shoulders. He'd never wanted to be Leader of anything, much less a whole sect, and this, right here, was why.
