Shen Jintian drew a small cart, the wheels of it clattering along the road he and Xingyue were traveling upon.
They had been traveling for the better part of the day, the sun slowly beginning to dip below the horizon. In the orange glow it offered, the Taihe river that roared alongside them glittered with a beauty comparable to flowing amber.
Along their travels, Jintian had at first been quiet, as the traffic exiting and entering the city ensured the roads remained full and unending. He had gotten more than a few looks of shock and awe at the speed his Qi enforced body was drawing the cart, at times swifter than even a double horse drawn carriage, but he ignored them all.
Xingyue also seemed to have no complaints about the silence. Even if she had been expecting the day for a year now, leaving behind everything she'd once known no doubt put her in a reflective, if not somber, mood.
However, as evening fell and traffic became sparse, the two had begun to settle into at first hesitant, and then easy conversation.
"I was nine when my father took me on my first hunt." Jintian said, smiling as he recalled the memory. Xingyue smiled to herself behind him. She had heard this story time and again in her dreams, but to actually listen to it caused a small warmth to blossom in her chest. "It was on the cusp of winter, that boundary in time when nature seems to hold its breath for the coming freeze.
"We were hunting deer. By that point, I was stronger than most of the men in the village, so my father had let me use his bow." He took a deep breath, the air beginning to chill in the early spring evening. "I remember I was so nervous that I dropped it twice. He'd wacked me upside the head for that."
Xingyue giggled, her hand covering her mouth over her veil. "How cute! I bet the bow was bigger than you were." She teased, and Jintian grinned over his shoulder, before once more turning his attention forward.
"It was." He admitted, shaking his head. "He taught me how to track deer during that trip. Where a buck would rub their antlers, how to spot trampled ferns and underbrush when prints were unavailable. And then, just as the sun was beginning to rise, we found it."
Jintian's chest swelled with pride. "Despite my nervousness, in that moment, it felt like a strange calm had come over me. I knew that if I did not successfully kill the deer, we might go hungry. And so, my hands steadied. And just like I'd practiced since I could even hold a bow, I drew, waited for the moment its heart was exposed… and slew it."
Xingyue clapped her hands, and Jintian smiled bashfully. "How mighty. Maybe I'll even be able to taste one of your successful hunts during this trip." She hummed leadingly, and he rubbed his nose.
"Hmph, perhaps if you're lucky." He said. Then, his smile dimmed. "I taught Xiacheng, my little brother, how to hunt. His first successful kill was a hare, just before I left for Chenghe. He did very well."
The seer gently squeezed his shoulder, and Jintian cleared his throat. "Anyways… it's starting to get dark. I suggest we start to make camp for the night." He said, and she nodded, then paused.
"You weren't expecting me to join… so if we need to share a tent, I wouldn't mind it…" She said, and Jintian shook his head.
"Oh no, I wouldn't put you in an uncomfortable situation like that. I brought a spare tent, in case anything happened to mine." He said, proud of his preparations. He then thought he heard Xingyue click her tongue behind him, but when he turned around, he only saw her impenetrable veil.
He veered the cart to the side, towards the dense treeline that had bordered their travel. Then, as they reached the underbrush, he turned back to Xingyue. "I'm going to lift the cart now, don't move too suddenly and keep your balance."
Xingyue looked at him incredulously, her head tilting to the side. "Lift up the -ack!" She began, before yelping as he lifted up the cart onto his shoulders.
She had seen his prodigious strength in her dreams, but to experience it was something else entirely. A nervous laugh filled her as she suddenly felt that she was unreasonably high in the air.
Xingyue heard rustling in the underbrush, before felt the sinking feeling of being lowered once again. Jintian took her hand, and then led her off of the cart, gently lowering her to the forest floor.
She nearly sighed when his hands left her, but only shook her head, clearing her mind of such thoughts. She heard a dragging sound, before Jintian took her hand again. "I pulled over a log for you to sit while I make camp." He said lightly, and she smiled as he helped her find it.
Once the seer was seated, Jintian looked around. He had picked a small clearing in the forest wide enough for their tents to fit, but it would still require a little work to clear out an area for a fire.
Pulling out his sword, he waved his finger, and in a few moments a wide area was cleared out as it sliced through the brush, revealing the earth beneath it. He heard a great scurrying of insects as they were suddenly displaced, as well as rodents turning over in their dens from the commotion.
He then pulled out the tents, and set them apart. Once again, he utilized his Qi to erect them, small stakes and lengths of rope and fabric flying through the air as the tents assembled in rapid fashion.
Jintian's forehead beaded with sweat. He had been practicing with delicate Qi control like this for months now, but controlling so many moving parts still required great effort. His Circles receded slightly with the expenditure, but not by a particularly noticeable margin. Although he would not be able to replenish his Qi with the lack of spiritual energy in the air, he could perform this process dozens of times over and still not empty his reserves completely.
With the task completed, he used the scant rays of sunlight that filtered in through the canopy above them to pull out wooden logs from his bag of holding, as well as a small piece of flint that he struck against his fingernail, a spark falling onto the tinder he'd made and quickly catching.
Finally, after almost ten minutes, their camp was fully assembled. Xingyue pulled her veil from her face, smiling as she felt the warmth of the camp fire on her skin.
"So you are enjoying the perks of being a cultivator." She hummed, and Jintian coughed, rubbing the back of his head.
"It does make these tasks easier." He admitted, before dragging his own log closer to the fire. After sending out his spiritual sense and discovering nothing untoward, he pulled a few pieces of dried meat, rice, and pickled vegetables, as well as a small pot, which he filled with water from his water skin and placed over the fire.
Once the food was finished, he pulled out a couple of small bowls and filled them, gently placing one into Xingyue's hands.
The two enjoyed their dinner quietly, sighing contentedly as their bellies were filled after a long day of traveling. Once they were finished, Jintian collected everything and stowed them away to be washed in the morning.
"So you have lived in Chenghe your entire life?" He asked, adding another log to the fire as it was beginning to burn low. Xingyue nodded, her face lit by the flickering flame.
"Most of it." She answered. "We used to live in Jinzhou, however we moved before I even remember living there to Chenghe."
Jintian hummed thoughtfully. Jinzhou was the next city north of Chenghe, and was the capital city of the State of Wei, almost three times the size of Chenghe. They would be passing through it, in their journey to Jianling.
"If you don't mind me asking, why did your family move from the capital?" He wondered. He could not fathom living in, or leaving, a city so large.
Xingyue smiled at that, her eyes opening as she tilted her head upwards. "Our father died in the Three States War." She said quietly, and immediately Jintian's mood sobered. "It is alright, as I said before… It happened before I could remember him. Our mother was pregnant with Huixian, and though his family offered to care for her, she wished to be closer to her own family. Partly for herself, and partly because of the gift I had awakened with. She moved back to Chenghe to be with our grandfather and grandmother."
Jintian gazed into the fire. "Your mother sounds like she was an extraordinarily strong woman. To make such a long trip while with child." He said in admiration, and Xingyue's smile brightened. The two cities were two weeks apart on a horse drawn carriage.
"She was." She said softly. "One of the strongest women I have ever known. Thank you."
The two lapsed into silence, but neither of them rushed to fill it. Jintian thought back to his own mother, of her own quiet strength. There had been two years between his father's disappearance, and her marriage to Shen Anjia. She had raised him alone, in that time. He wondered what she must have felt.
Hope, that his father would return? Despair, that she may need to raise a son entirely on her own? Fear, that Heaven would one day return and take him from her?
His fists curled, the anger burning through him hotly. Anger at his father, for the position he had left his mother in. At Heaven, for forcing such a fate on a mortal woman, with no means to fight against it. And, he realized…
Anger at himself. For reasons he did not even know.
For being born?
His heart filled with bitterness, but was quelled when he felt a soft hand envelop his own, almost impossibly warm. He looked up and saw that Xingyue had moved closer to him, holding his hands with her own. She was seated next to him, her shoulder pressed to his, and she smiled up at him.
"We were both lucky to be raised by such strong, tenacious people." She reminded him. "Regardless of their circumstances, they did the best that they could have, with what they were given. We can only ever be grateful for that."
He smiled, the knot of rage in his heart loosening ever so slightly. He pushed it away, and patted her hand. She rested her cheek on his shoulder, her starlit eyes closing.
Jintian sighed sadly, pulling away, but she held to him tighter. "I'm not…" He began, and she shook her head.
"I know. You're not the man I once knew, and I will not expect you to be." She assured him. "Even still… I would like to remain like this. For just a little longer, if you'll allow it."
Jintian nodded, relaxing against her once again. He looked up at the night sky, the stars twinkling above them just past the canopy. He felt the heat of the fire on his skin, and the somehow even warmer presence of Xingyue beside him.
He thought, perhaps… that he might have missed a future where they could have been together.
But such was not their fate, anymore. Because Jintian's anger was still there, the coals of his rage glowing just as hotly as the fire in front of him. He could not settle. Not until his blood debt had been paid.
Not until Wu Mingjie was dead.
-
The next few days passed similarly to their first. They traveled swiftly during the day, passing others along the main road that led from Chenghe to Jinzhou, and camped at night. Sometimes in a forest, and if there were none, then in the rolling hills of the countryside. The Taihe river winded to their side, snaking through the plains and growing stronger the closer they approached its main source.
However, the first night they had spent had undoubtedly brought them closer. Their travels were now filled with laughter and conversation, only interrupted occasionally when Jintian saw a particularly beautiful mountain, or was caught by the way the sunlight would splash the scenic countryside with its color.
On the fourth day, though, Jintian noticed a particularly troubled traveler walking down the road. When the traveler saw them, he grimaced, before waving his hand.
"Young sir!" He called, and Jintian slowed the cart to a stop, observing the man.
He appeared to be of middle age, his hair sprinkled with flecks of grey and his beard trimmed neatly. His clothes were well-made, but seemed a little dirty. "What is it, honorable sir?" He asked back, and the man sighed as he approached, looking regretfully over his shoulder.
"I wanted to warn you. There are three men ahead, wearing the King's army uniform. They are exacting tolls from travelers on the road. When I refused, they shoved me around a bit, and threatened me with their weapons." He said gravely, and Jintian pursed his lips. "You both look to be fairly wealthy. They may take you for everything you have, as they did me."
Jintian nodded, before bowing to the man. "Thank you, honorable sir. We will tread carefully." He said, and the man nodded, sighing bitterly again.
He walked past them, and Jintian watched after him for a time. When he was out of earshot, he turned to Xingyue. "What do you think?" He asked, and the seer hummed in thought. She wore her veil during the day, but he had grown adept in feeling her mood during their travels.
He sensed… amusement, from her.
"Well, we could sow some good karma for you." She reasoned after a time. "Either they are really the king's men, or they are ruffians posing as such. Either way, it sounds like they are taking more than what they are supposed to. Best you put a stop to it."
Jintian hesitated for a few moments, before nodding. They resumed their journey, passing by a few other people who wore similar bitter expressions on their faces. Some were simple travelers, others were wagoneers, but all sighed in exasperation, and warned them of the same thing.
Sure enough, after nearly ten minutes of walking, they crested a hill to spot three distant figures standing along the road. They cut an imposing image, with their glittering armor and sizable guandaos.
As Jintian approached, the figures noticed them. The largest of them approached, a bright smile and a greedy glint in his eyes as he inspected the duo. His eyes lingered on Xingyue, but could not see her beauty through the veil she wore, so he instead fully focused his attention on Jintian.
"Greetings, sirs." Jintian said warily as the other two men stood behind the approaching man. Their faces were clean, but their beards were a little unruly. That in itself did not give cause for him to suspect they were not really soldiers, but the way their armor was strapped did. It all looked a little loose, as if they didn't know how to tighten it properly.
"Good day to you, young lord." The leading figure greeted, leaning lazily on the guandao. "Are you perhaps traveling to Jinzhou?"
The youth nodded, and the man smacked his lips. "I am sorry to impose upon you, but the King has enacted a toll on this road. The price is ten percent of your coin. Pay the fee, and you're free to continue traveling. Otherwise, you'll have to turn around."
Jintian kept his expression neutral, and shrugged. "Very well, we'll return to Chenghe." He said casually, beginning to turn around. The leading figure raised his eyebrows, hurrying forward.
"No no young lord, you did not let me finish. If you wish to turn around, then you'll need to pay five percent of your coin." He said, and Jintian chuckled. He turned to Xingyue.
"Grip tightly to the seat." He warned her, and she immediately did so. He then pushed the cart backwards, and it rumbled to a stop twenty meters behind him. The men immediately frowned at his display of strength, their grips tightening on their polearms while Jintian reached into the sleeves of his robes. He stuck his chin into the air, looking at the three men in front of him.
"The King mandated this, you say?" He asked, and the leading figure nodded, his smile growing brighter. The strength Jintian had just displayed was worrisome, but his fellows were with him. "Surely, then, you have a letter of this command?"
The three men's expressions darkened. "Do you dare imply that we are not the King's men?" One of them snarled, stepping forward. Jintian immediately skipped backwards a couple of paces, reaching into his bag of holding.
"Don't kill them!" Xingyue called from behind, and Jintian nodded. He had been grasping for his sword, but instead drew his staff, pulling it free from the sleeve of his robe. He stamped the butt of it into the earth, and the leading man's eyes narrowed.
"Listen, kid, I was being nice before. But now, you're going to need to pay half of your coin. Otherwise…" He slowly raised his guandao, leveling the tip towards him. Jintian sighed, and shook his head.
Then, he pointed a finger towards the leading man. "I will give you three fools this one chance." He warned, remembering one of the phrases Kang Shanxi would recite when he had been a mischievous youth. "Stop your evil acts, and live a decent life. Then, when you enter the cycle of reincarnation, you can do so with the assurance that you will be reborn with good karma."
He then winced as the words left his mouth, and the men started laughing. From his teacher, the phrase had sounded particularly sagely. But from his own mouth, they sounded childish.
The leading man snorted, before leveling the blade of his polearm towards him. "I will give you, fool, this one chance too. Give us all of your coin and scram, or die." He growled, and Jintian sighed.
The man lunged forward, and Jintian yelped as he jumped back, the blade passing just in front of his abdomen. The other men jeered from behind the leading man,about five meters back, and he swung once more towards Jintian.
The youth ground his teeth, dodging once again. Then, as the man made one more swipe, he spun backwards. His robe fluttered through the air, his hair flying around him in a dark cloud, and as he spun he loosened his grip on the staff, grabbing it at the last moment.
At the end of his spin, he swung the tip of his staff against the man. Faster than he could react it struck against his helm, and with a deafening thud of wood against metal, it rattled his skull beneath the helmet.
The man dropped to the ground without a sound, unconscious, and the two other men gaped in shock. Jintian straightened, pointing a finger at one of them.
"Strip of your armor, and leave your weapons." He commanded, and the two men gnashed their teeth and charged towards him.
"You're dead, kid!" The one he pointed to shouted. Jintian shook his head, before drawing upon his Qi and creating a spell formula with one node.
It was a simple spell he had created, imbued with his affinity for metal. The node held the character for "strike", while the conduits directed "where I point".
The technique thrummed to life within him, and as he pushed it outwards, his Qi slammed into the man. While this technique would not be so effective against a cultivator of his level, these were mortal men. He was instantly knocked off of his feet and blown backwards, rolling to a stop two meters away. He then shifted his finger to point at the last man.
The third man's face blanched as he watched this happen, skidding to a stop. "Immortal!" He breathed, immediately throwing his weapon away and prostrating himself before Jintian. "This one greets the Immortal, and begs that you spare my life!"
Jintian looked down at him in shock, turning towards Xingyue. The young seer tilted her head to the side, giggling slightly.
"You very well could have led with that, you know." She admonished Jintian, and he coughed, rubbing the back of his head and turning to look at the prostrated man.
Then, he lightly tapped him on the back of his head with his staff, knocking him out as well.