The courtyard was quiet, heavy with a kind of expectant silence. The sun had long passed its peak, leaning toward the west as afternoon bled into evening.
"I heard you fought two cultivators," Min finally said, settling beside me on the dormitory's quadrangle. "How was it?" Her curiosity was polite, but insistent.
I glanced at Miss Alvie, who was quietly sketching the courtyard, capturing its fading light in delicate lines.
We had chosen to sit outside, a compromise between killing time, entertaining Miss Alvie, and waiting for the others.
"It was… demanding," I said after a bite of bread, chewing thoughtfully. "Although I seemed to have lost consciousness at some point."
Min's eyes widened. "Wow. A water and fire cultivator?" She tried to hide her amazement but failed. "Where are Yin or Yang in philosophy, though? Depending on that, the poem could be read differently."
I furrowed my brow, trying to follow her line of thought. "What poem?" I asked.
She looked at me, shocked. "Aren't you the cultivator? I should be the one asking your interpretation."
I shrugged, leaning back. "My father hired a teacher to lecture me on the basics. I never joined the sect, so…" I trailed off, leaving her to continue.
She smiled knowingly. "A dragon princess for you, I see."
Miss Alvie interrupted with a single word: "Biscuit," sticking out her left hand.
The Nine Burdens had been a poem studied across all sects, each interpreting it differently. Miss Alvie, despite not being a cultivator, had always found it compelling.
"I think I have it in my bag," she said, rifling through her belongings.
"Why do you have it if you're not a cultivator?" I teased.
"Because I find it interesting," she shot back. "Even merchants read it." She finally produced a notebook, handing it to Min and me.
Miss Alvie glanced at the drawing she had paused in the middle of: the street outside, captured in exquisite detail. "Could you always draw like this? It's beautiful."
"No," she replied, taking a piece of bread. "It's new to me, I think."
I opened the notebook. Inside were translations and commentary.
九重負擔經 — The Scripture of the Nine Burdens
一 · 和敬 火與地和,亦敬其土.
Fire may harmonize with Earth, yet it must also revere it. Meaning: Power must negotiate with the foundation that sustains it.
二 · 焚耀 焚木之火,以木為耀.
The fire that burns wood shines only through wood. Meaning: Inspiration demands sacrifice.
三 · 渴林 林賴水生,而林無海.
The forest lives by water, yet no ocean dwells within it. Meaning: Growth depends on a source that always remains distant.
四 · 動地 金出於地,掘之則地震.
Metal comes from the earth; dig it and the earth trembles. Meaning: Strength cannot be refined without wounding the world.
五 · 流蝕 水行於金,急流則蝕.
Water flows over metal; in fury it corrodes. Meaning: To create a path is to accept slow decay.
六 · 鍛形 火赤其金,而改其形.
Fire reddens metal and reshapes it. Meaning: To be perfected by a master, one must first surrender form.
七 · 知滅 水使火知其終滅.
Water teaches fire that it can perish. Meaning: Every brilliance has an ending.
八 · 噬土 木長則耗水,亦貧其土.
As wood grows, it drinks the water and impoverishes the soil. Meaning: Life thrives by consuming the world that supports it.
九 · 地許 地阻其河,水因其許而流.
Earth halts the river; water flows only by its permission. Meaning: Freedom is granted by the immovable.
陰陽之律 — The Law of Yin and Yang 陽為贈世. 陰為索世.
Yang is the gift given to the world. Yin is the debt taken from it.
"Interesting," Miss Alvie murmured after reading with me.
"Right, so how do you view it?" Min asked again.
I paused. Both sides made valid points. Yin seemed like the correct response, yet the interplay of elements raised more questions than it answered.
"Have you heard of the Tenth Burden?" Miss Alvie asked, producing a scroll.
I noticed a small trickle of blood from my nose. "You're bleeding," I said, grabbing a cloth.
Min looked up, concerned. "What happened?"
"I… overdid it," Miss Alvie replied, lightly pressing her own nose. She handed the scroll to Min and me.
第十重負擔經 — The Scripture of the Tenth Burden
一 · 見縛 心負於心,無形而重.
The heart bears upon the heart; invisible yet weighty.
Commentary: Every cultivator's action leaves a burden on another. No element, no earth, no river—only the minds and wills of those around you feel it.
二 · 無跡 舉動無聲,必留痕.
Movement leaves no sound, yet traces remain.
Commentary: Yin action is invisible. Even when unseen, the debt is imposed. A rival's choice may be quietly reshaped.
三 · 循環 債隨流轉,如影隨形.
Debts circulate like shadows following form. Commentary: One action triggers another. Restraint ripples outward.
四 · 逆流 欲避其重,反添其纏.
Attempt to avoid the burden, and it binds you further.
Commentary: Ignoring the Tenth Burden only deepens the chain.
五 · 陰陽視界 陽以身贖,陰以人索.
Yang redeems by self; Yin collects through others.
Commentary: The Tenth Burden tests mindset. True mastery balances both.
六 · 無主 無形之債,非我所控,亦非汝可知. The invisible debt is neither mine to control nor yours to perceive.
Commentary: Burdens exist independently of intention. Awareness is necessary, but never perfect.
七 · 終章 洞徹十重,能掌無形者,王於暗.
He who comprehends the ten burdens and masters the unseen, rules in darkness. Commentary: True power lies in mastering the unseen chains of interaction.
"I thought it was a balanced circle. Where is this from?" Min asked, examining the scroll.
"Who knows," Miss Alvie said, pressing her nose again.
"So, Yin and Yang are more a view of action," Min said, nearly dropping the scroll, "and balance is the better approach?"
"I don't know," I said, thoughtful. "The end and the mean can both be true."
Miss Alvie nodded. "Yang is the gift you give the world. Yin is the debt you force it to pay. The Tenth Burden is knowing which to choose, when, and to whom."
For a moment, the courtyard felt like a classroom of history, philosophy, and strategy rolled into one quiet lesson.
"Lady Alvie, it's time you let them be. It's been a long day," Aries Rho said, appearing almost silently.
"Good evening, ladies," she added, dressed casually, hair falling in waves.
"Oh, would I be staying with you while my residence is being prepared?" Miss Alvie asked, setting down the sketchpad but clutching the scroll.
"Good night. Enjoy your break," Miss Rho replied, and they departed.
Min picked up her book and the sketch. "Was there an armored samurai on the street?" she asked, staring at the image.
I looked closer. Among the peaceful buildings and cobbled streets, a lone figure on horseback stood apart—stoic, armored, and utterly out of place.
The weight of the Tenth Burden lingered in my mind, like the silent shadow of that samurai—always there, always watching, always reminding me of the unseen debts we carry.