Lu Chang sighed grimly as he returned to the Feng clan grounds from the market. In the weeks after Jin Shun’s disappearance in the minor realm, the atmosphere of the Painted Families had taken a drastic turn. The Jin clan had folded in on itself, holing up in their clan grounds and refusing all forms of communication.
Lu Chang was not privy to the inner workings of the clans, but he could tell the possibilities were worrying for them. Each of the other clans had started to subtly call back their members on the outside, preparing for some sort of reckoning.
The clans had all started stocking up on resources too, as Lu Chang well knew. He’d been overseeing the slaves’ efforts to transport the vast quantities of goods into the clan grounds, liaising with Feng Xiaoling. Lu Chang and Mei had found a fast friend in the older woman after the events of the minor realm. After Mei had learned how she’d stuck up for Lu Chang, she immediately used her position as clan heir to increase the resources and responsibilities for Feng Xiaoling.
They’d both been so busy that Lu Chang and Mei had yet to really practice the new techniques they’d gained from the Temple.
Mei had been restricted to the clan lands since a week ago, however, when someone had attempted to assassinate her in the market. The assailant had been killed immediately, but they still had no idea who’d sent them.
These kinds of attacks were not unheard of amongst the Painted Families, especially in a time of turmoil like this. Aiming to weaken rival clans by depriving them of an heir that had been nurtured was a very effective tactic.
Needless to say, Mei was not happy with being confined. Lu Chang opened the doors to their rooms to find her sprawled out on his bed, an open scroll covering her face as she napped. He smiled mischievously, then swept open the curtains next to the bed, letting the sun fill the room. Mei made a noise like a strangled cat as she woke suddenly.
“Ugh, do you always have to wake me that way?”
Lu Chang just snorted at her.
“Yes. It’s funny. Don’t you have anything better to do than nap?”
She stared at him blankly.
“I really don’t.”
He rolled his eyes.
“Well, now you do. Your grandfather wants to see you.”
She sat up straight, eyes wide.
“Now?”
Lu Chang shrugged, laughing, then tossed her a note he’d found stuck on the door.
“I’m not sure. This note was on the door when I got back. All it says is that he wants to see you.”
She jumped up and started rummaging around.
“Stop laughing and help me get dressed, Lu Chang!”
He could only follow one of those commands, as he chuckled.
“Yes, mistress.”
A blouse came flying out of nowhere to hit his face for his sass.
A ‘quick’ half hour later, Mei and Lu Chang stood outside the door to Lord Feng’s study. As always, before they could knock, Lord Feng’s voice was heard from within.
“Come in!”
Lu Chang pushed the door open, then followed Mei inside the modest study. Lord Feng was staring out the window. As they walked in, he turned around with a wide smile. Mei bowed and spoke.
“You sent for me, grandfather?”
Lord Feng smiled brighter and gestured to seats nearby.
“MeiMei! That I did. Sit down, sit down.”
Lord Feng and Mei sat down, while Lu Chang poured them some tea that had been steeping nearby.
“What did you want, grandfather?”
Mei spoke up after a long pause. Lu Chang almost clucked in disapproval. That was much too short for wise, old people like Lord Feng. She was due for a mildly chastising comment about her patience.
“Always so impatient, my granddaughter.”
There it was.
“As it happens, though. I did call you here for a reason.”
A serious look came over Lord Feng then, and both Mei and Lu Chang paid close attention.
“You are aware of the rising tensions among the Painted Families. The Jin clan has still not come out from their grounds, only sending slaves for their needs. The other clans are all on guard as well, for good reason.”
Mei nodded at the information she’d already known.
“From what I can tell, these raised tensions won’t go away any time soon. On the contrary, I believe it is due to get worse, though not for a while. Therefore, I want you to take a trip outside the city. It will do you no good to be cooped up here for months or years, and you’ll likely be safer on the outside than you are here, granddaughter.”
Mei definitely approved of the idea, a gleam appearing in her eyes at the thought.
“Just me and Lu Chang?”
“Of course. Sending anyone else with you will call too much attention. Best if you can slip out without anyone knowing. I will leave this to your attendant. I’m sure he can best prepare you to fit in with the common mortals.”
Lu Chang thought that was a bit presumptuous, but Lord Feng was not wrong. He nodded. Lord Feng continued.
“I’ll send a letter to you by the usual method when I believe you should return. Things around here won’t calm down anytime soon, but they also won’t get worse for a while either.”
Mei agreed, and they said their goodbyes, returning to her rooms. Mei was beyond excited, flitting from place to place packing everything. Lu Chang had to stop her from packing an entire cart-full of things. This time they would travel light.
The first thing they had to do was determine where they would go. Pulling out a large map of the region around the Painted City, they started to narrow down an ideal spot. After a few hours of arguing, they settled on a tiny village a week’s travel southeast of the city, nestled in the hilly-forests of that area, Old Bamboo Village.
It was remote enough that they should be safe there, but close enough to the city that they could return quickly if needed. There was nearly nothing of value to cultivators nearby as well, fortunately.
By Mei’s idea, they would pretend to be a newlywed couple staying there on vacation. It was extremely unlikely for there to be any cultivators above the first realm there that could reveal their ruse. It was a good cover, though Lu Chang at first felt a little uneasy with the idea. While Mei had really made no secret of the attraction growing between them, this really was plain as could be.
Before his trials in the Temple of Limitless Paths, Lu Chang would have been leery of such a relationship, but now he felt that he could handle it much better. Though he wouldn’t rush into anything regardless; he’d see what happened.
The next morning, Lu Chang and Mei left the Painted City, dressed in plain robes to blend in with the common folk. The experience was trying for Lu Chang, as he had to corral Mei whenever she tried to do something that would be out of ordinary for a commoner, like trying to skip the line through the city gate.
They left the city, and walked for a few hours, then decided they were distant enough to run like cultivators the rest of the way to their destination. Their travel to the village went by without a hitch. Lu Chang and Mei walked into the village early in the evening, a week after their departure from the Painted City.
Old Bamboo Village was a small place, barely over a thousand people in it. In years past, it occupied an important spot on a well-travelled trade route, but a newer route had since gained popularity, and Old Bamboo Village, like many other villages, had retreated into obscurity.
Lu Chang and Mei entered the village that evening and headed straight for what looked like an inn. Mei was captivated by the quaint village, turning this way and that like a country bumpkin visiting the city for the first time, an amusing reversal for Lu Chang.
They’d swapped out their clothes before entering the village, dressing in even coarser clothing than what they’d left the city in, much to Mei’s constant complaints. Lu Chang would never admit it to her, but he had also become accustomed to the finely made robes of the Feng clan, and the coarse cloth of their current clothes was maddening.
Entering the inn, Lu Chang saw an elderly woman serving dinner to what few travelers were in town. She looked up, surprised at their entry, and smiled kindly at them.
“What can I do for you, dears?”
Mei looked at Lu Chang expectantly and he answered.
“A room for the night if you have one, and some supper.”
“Right away, dearie. You both have a seat and I’ll bring some stew.”
She brought over two bowls of stew that smelled heavenly to Lu Chang, but that Mei wrinkled her nose at. After they’d eaten, the woman came back.
“Your room is all set up. Will you just need it for the night?”
She clearly expected a yes, assuming they were the same as the rest of the travelers just passing through.
“Possibly. My wife and I have been travelling for our honeymoon, and decided this was a nice place to stay for a while. Would you happen to know of any places for us to rent, perhaps on the outskirts of the village? We like our privacy.”
The innkeeper was surprised, then looked happy to help.
“Ohh it’ll will be wonderful to have some new faces around. You two make a lovely couple.”
Mei blushed heavily and Lu Chang thanked the woman, who now had a thoughtful look on her face.
“Well we do have quite a few places gone empty over the years. I know one pretty well kept-up, but it’s a ways out of town. That old hermit liked his privacy, too, but he’s gone now. Pretty place, though, up in the forest near the falls.”
Lu Chang nodded.
“That sounds perfect for us. Who can we talk to about renting it?”
The woman scoffed.
“Pish-posh! Nobody ‘round here owns it, it’s all yours for your stay. I’ll show it to you tomorrow.”
Lu Chang thanked her, then he and Mei went to bed at the inn. The next morning, the old innkeeper, who they learned was called Liu Yumei, led them to the house she mentioned.
It was about an hour’s walk outside of the village, up in the forested hills. The house was a modest cabin, built next to a river and overlooking a waterfall, a picture of rustic charm. There was a large field cleared behind the cabin, and the spiritual energy was surprisingly dense for such an area.
Mei looked at him and nodded, satisfied. Lu Chang turned to the innkeeper.
“This is wonderful Madam Liu. Thank you.”
She beamed at him.
“Such a polite young man. It was no trouble.”
She turned to leave, when some clearly horrible thought occurred to her.
“Oh, but how will you eat out here? I know, I’ll bring some food out here for you every few days.”
Lu Chang was amused, given the vast amount of food in their treasure pouches, but supposed it wouldn’t hurt. It reminded Lu Chang of some of the older ladies in Hundred Fragrance City that wouldn’t let anyone go by without a sweet.
“That sounds fine, Madam Liu. Please allow me to pay you for that, though.”
After a few minutes of haggling, the old innkeeper eventually relented, and let Lu Chang pay her a pittance for the food and trouble. After she left, Lu Chang and Mei relaxed, and Mei took a look around the place.
“This will do, I suppose. I’m glad we brought my furniture with us, though.”
Lu Chang laughed.
They decided to spend the next couple months in seclusion there. Mei wanted to mostly concentrate on learning the technique she’d found in the minor realm, along with preparing to open another extraordinary meridian. Lu Chang decided to first attempt to attain a minor competency with Tempest and the Claws of the Zephyr.
While Mei spent most of her time practicing in the field out behind the cabin, Lu Chang favored the area next to the falls. He sat on a rock in the middle of the river, with the Claws of the Zephyr manual open in his lap.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
The technique wasn’t a one-off skill like most of his current techniques were. It was a set of martial arts centered around using a short-saber, along with a few corresponding battle skills. From what the pagoda spirit told him, most cultivators used manuals like this as a foundation for their fighting style, adding on battle skills and other techniques on top, much like Lu Chang did with the martial arts he learned growing up.
Putting away the manual, Lu Chang started to slowly go through the motions of the style with Tempest. It was a style of contrasts, soft parries and dodges that transitioned to fierce counterattacks.
As he was still in meridian opening, Lu Chang could only learn the first level of the technique and its corresponding battle skill, “Lake-Mirrors-Cloud.” Lu Chang spent their first two weeks there practicing the first level of the Claws of the Zephyr, until he was satisfied that it was at minor competency. He didn’t touch the battle skill yet, content to slowly hone his understanding of the manual.
In the meantime, he and Mei got to know the old innkeeper quite well. She was always happy when she arrived with the food, and full of gossip from the village. Mei seemed disinterested but Lu Chang relished in the connection to something that reminded him of home.
In the evening, they spent time together, and Lu Chang found Mei much less constrained now that there were no clansmen to watch her at all times. She made her interest in Lu Chang blatantly known. Though she did not and would not use her position as his master to influence his decision, to Lu Chang’s gratitude.
After a couple weeks of their seclusion, Lu Chang saw no reason not to return Mei’s affections. They had grown nearly inseparable, and Lu Chang found himself quite attached already. The only problem to him had been the vision he’d seen in the inner sect that foretold a possible future. Lu Chang was confident now, though, that he would never give up his ambition in such a way.
That evening, Lu Chang found himself reading through the Claws of the Zephyr manual in a chair near the fire in their cabin. As always, Mei was sprawled across his bed under the covers. He couldn’t hear any snoring, though, and she was usually asleep by now, waiting for him to carry her over to her bed.
A soft sob coming from the bed alarmed him, when he noticed the moon was full. Lu Chang thought she must be remembering her mother again. He stood up, then, putting away the manual and joined her on the bed, putting his arm around her and pulling her close. A watery voice greeted him.
“Thank you, Lu Chang. I always miss her around this time.”
He pulled her a little tighter to him.
“I know. I’m sure she misses you too.”
Mei hummed into his shoulder.
“Perhaps. I hope so.”
They fell silent then, both staring at the moon, lost in their thoughts. A while later, Mei started to giggle. He looked down at her, thankful that she was feeling better.
“What’s so funny?”
Her face turned up at him with a coy look.
“Well, I’ve finally enticed you into my bed.”
He laughed.
“I think you’ll find that this is actually my bed, Mei. Yours is over there.”
She scoffed.
“Fine, be that way. In that case, shall we make it our bed?”
Lu Chang could not find it in himself to refuse. So, Lu Chang let himself be “enticed,” as Mei put it. Other than an enhanced closeness and intimacy, their relationship changed very little, though they both found much joy in it.
It chafed at Lu Chang for a while, though, when he realized that Mei saw no problem with his status as a slave. To her, it was only natural. He was meant to be her attendant for life, and she’d been raised to see that as normal. It was an attitude he couldn’t really blame her for, but one that he hoped wouldn’t be an issue after he found a way to free himself.
After he’d reached his goal for the Claws of the Zephyr, Lu Chang naturally turned his attention to something he’d been putting off: the Jin clan’s slave-binding art. The only options detailed in it to remove the technique were either impossible or unpalatable to Lu Chang, so he wanted to research it, confident that he could formulate a new method.
Another few weeks went by, and Lu Chang had nothing to show for them. The slave-binding art was esoteric beyond anything Lu Chang was familiar with, and he had only deciphered a few mechanisms of the technique, hitting a wall afterwards.
He was mostly just banging his head against it now, and so decided to relegate the research to only a couple hours each day going forward. It was too important to stop entirely, but too difficult and reliant on inspiration to relentlessly attempt.
Mei had made good headway on mastering her technique from the minor realm, and was now spending most of her time preparing to open a meridian. She now spent all day in the spot with the most dense spiritual energy, which ended up on top of the cabin’s roof. Lu Chang’s comments about her inner bird choosing that spot were underappreciated in his opinion.
Lu Chang now turned his attention to the Sublime Wintry Sky Invocation. He had put it off for so long, wary of the effects of it on his advancement speed, but had determined that he should be fine as long as he didn’t actively cultivate, merely learn the technique.
The cultivation technique was formulated for yin aspected wind users, and Lu Chang now qualified as such due to the Hell energy lending that aspect to his spiritual energy. The basics of the technique relied on comprehending the chill of the wintry wind. Once learned, the winds he could summon would be imparted with the cold snap and biting chill of winter.
The technique included details all the way to the fourth realm, though only the first was relevant for Lu Chang currently. He sat down to cycle his energy according to the instructions of the technique. Before he could utilize the effects of the technique, he’d have to circulate all his energy in the form required, in order to impart its aspects on the energy.
Another couple weeks passed, and Lu Chang had finished converting all his energy to the standard of the Sublime Wintry Sky Invocation. He could feel the yin alignment of his energy now, a hint of that all-encompassing frigid nature of the Hell energy that echoed through his energy.
Summoning a blade of wind, he struck a nearby tree with it. The wind sliced straight through as it usually did, but also froze the edges of the cut, creeping tendrils of frost extending outward from it.
His spiritual energy felt much more potent, as well. The difference between his former cultivation technique and the Sublime Wintry Sky Invocation were as far apart as the earth and the heavens, truly.
He was eager to try out the innate skill of the first level of the technique as well. According to the pagoda spirit, all cultivation techniques worth anything included innate skills that could be used once one ascended each level of the technique. As Lu Chang had now become competent in the first level of the technique, he should be able to use its corresponding skill, “Wintry Gale Armor.”
It was a defensive skill, one that cost very little energy. Incoming strikes and attacks would hit a barrier of freezing wind around the user. The defense was only mediocre compared to a real defensive skill, but its advantage lay in the counterattack that was attached. When an attack impacted the technique, a stream of icy wind would be automatically returned to the attacker.
Lu Chang felt that he could activate the skill at will. He wanted to go get Mei to have her test it, but thought better of it, as she was meditating. He was still there by the river thinking, when he heard a scream from the cabin.
Alarmed, Lu Chang rushed towards the cabin. He leapt atop the roof, where Mei was, and saw her unconscious body and a figure dressed in black looming over her. Wasting no time, Lu Chang flung several blades of wind at the figure, back to back. They flipped away from Mei and Lu Chang dashed to check on her.
There were no visible wounds on her, but there was a soft smell of some kind of potion or chemical. Lu Chang released another salvo of wind blades to keep the assassin, or would-be kidnapper, at bay while he picked up Mei and jumped off the roof.
He ran to the field behind the cabin and laid Mei down behind a tree, where she hopefully would be fine, and then faced the assassin. Getting a good look at the figure for the first time, Lu Chang noted that his robes were plain and undecorated, and he seemed unbothered by his prey’s rescue. Lu Chang cursed inwardly; this man seemed like a professional.
Lu Chang drew Tempest not a moment too soon as the assassin flung dozens of water needles at him. The Wintry Gale Armor showed its use now as he activated it and the needles froze solid on contact with it and were blown to either side of him.
The countering icy wind clearly surprised the assassin, as it pierced a hole straight through his shoulder. The man didn’t even grunt, though he did take a healing pill from somewhere and swallow it. It wouldn’t help in the meantime, though, as now the man’s left arm hung useless by his side.
Lu Chang sprung at the man, hoping to take the fighting away from Mei’s unconscious body. They clashed, Tempest and the assassins sword dancing like feuding snakes. Even with only one arm to use, Lu Chang was outmatched in pure strength; the assassin had the strength of a bull.
Concentrating on the first level of the Claws of the Zephyr, Lu Chang softly batted aside the man’s full-power strikes and dodged the quick stabs or slashes, biding his time. Eventually, the assassin over-extended and Lu Chang quickly transitioned to a fierce thrust.
The man’s reaction was too swift, though, and a deluge of water exploded from the assassin, knocking Lu Chang back. They traded a few more techniques; blades of wind and water needles flying all over the field, when Lu Chang heard a voice.
“Lu Chang? Lu Mei? Are you there? I’ve brought some delicious soup; one of the hunters brought in an Earthen-Skinned Elk last night!”
The old innkeeper had come. Lu Chang had forgotten that this was when she normally arrived. The woman rounded the corner of the cabin and came into sight. She dropped her package in fright as she took in the state of the field and the fierce fighting between the two of them.
Seeing the woman, the assassin took advantage and launched his water needles at her, then dashed for Mei’s body. Lu Chang could either rescue the innkeeper and hope that the assassin was a kidnapper instead, or he could intercept the assassin and let the innkeeper die.
His decision was made in an instant, and Lu Chang dashed between the man and Mei, driving him back with a tempestuous flurry of blows. He channeled all the fury of the latter half of the Claws of the Zephyr onto the man.
Competent though he was, the assassin could not avoid all of the seemingly endless rain of blows Lu Chang struck out with, and cuts and gashes started to pile up on the man. Lu Chang caught the man’s sword with Tempest, then lashed out with an open palm, summoning an icy wind to engulf the man.
In Lu Chang’s fury, he infused the wind with so much energy that he nearly spent it all, but the wind froze the man solid, and another strike of Lu Chang’s saber shattered the assassin into countless pieces.
Lu Chang sagged in relief and exhaustion. He’d nearly overdrafted his spiritual energy, and felt as if his body were made of lead. He looked over to where the innkeeper lay, shredded to pieces by the water needles. The rage that had driven Lu Chang then retreated into a vague grief. He hadn’t known the woman for long, but she was kindly and didn’t deserve this end.
He picked up Mei, who was still unconscious, and put her in bed inside. Then he turned to the grim task of burying the innkeeper. He wanted to avoid the village now, so he buried her out in the field behind the house.
As he finished, he heard Mei exit the cabin. She walked up to him and asked.
“What happened, Lu Chang? All I remember is hearing footsteps and smelling something and then nothing.”
Lu Chang grimaced, then explained what happened. Mei was aghast at being caught off-guard so easily, and that seemed to be all she was concerned with. Lu Chang was empathetic, but a chill went down his spine at the callous disregard for the innkeeper that she showed. He was not blind to the faults of Mei, though most came from her upbringing, but this still made him uneasy.
After that day, Mei trained with greater vigor, the shame of her supposed weakness driving her to work until she dropped. Lu Chang had to keep an eye on her at all times as a result, and so delved back into his research of the slave-binding technique.
Three weeks after the attack, Lu Chang and Mei sat on a rock atop the falls together, relaxing. Mei sighed heavily.
“Lu Chang, am I that weak?”
He’d been waiting for this conversation. Her exhaustive training could only go on for so long. She was a hard worker by the standards of the Painted Families, but Lu Chang had found that she didn’t have the willpower to train until exhaustion every day. He really didn’t know how to console her. She was not weak by the standards of the Painted Families, but Lu Chang had unknowingly started to measure himself by the standards of the Temple and sects in general.
“You aren’t. You’re one of the strongest youths in the city.”
“I’m weaker than you.”
She shot back immediately. Lu Chang could barely hold back a wince, this was really what was bothering her. He stayed silent, letting her work through her thoughts.
“I’m the heir of the great Feng clan, one of only twelve Painted Families, rulers of the Painted City, and I’m weaker than my own attendant. It feels wrong. I don’t begrudge you your strength at all, Lu Chang. In fact I’m happy that you are powerful, but I can’t help but feel wanting. How is it that a slave picked from nowhere can be so much stronger than me?”
Lu Chang nearly recoiled at her last sentence. He knew that she was talking rhetorically, but the words hurt all the same. Something must have tipped Mei off to his feelings because she immediately backpedaled.
“Oh, I didn’t mean it like that, Lu Chang! You know I don’t think of you as anything other than who you are; all I meant to say was that you’d advanced so far with so little and it made me feel useless. I’m sorry.”
He relaxed at her apology. It truly wasn’t anything he hadn’t heard before, and her explanation made sense.
“It’s alright. I’m sorry to have made you feel that way as well.”
They both sat in silence, neither very satisfied with how the conversation had gone. The next morning, while they were eating breakfast out by the river, a strong gust of wind blew through the clearing, carrying with it an elegantly folded piece of paper. Mei seemed to recognize the paper and leapt up excitedly to catch it.
“Look! It’s a message from grandfather.”
She opened it up and read quickly, a frown forming on her face at the contents.
“What does it say?”
Lu Chang was curious.
“It says ‘Return quickly.’ That’s it.”
She looked up, puzzled. Lu Chang sobered, then spoke.
“Something must have happened. We should do as it says. Hurry and grab your things.”
Mei nodded, and they were on their way immediately. They sped back to the city, only stopping infrequently to rest. When they returned to the Feng clan, they found it even more somber than they’d left.
Lu Chang followed Mei straight to her grandfather’s study, where they found several of the elders gathered as well. Mei marched straight in and addressed Lord Feng.
“What happened?”
He looked up, a grim smile on his face, and said.
“The emperor has called for a Centennial Youth Contest.”
A gasp went up from the elders and Mei, though Lu Chang had no idea what that was. Lord Feng was not finished, though.
“In addition, members of the Imperial clan have been dispatched to the city in order to oversee the contest, along with some of their younger generation to compete.”
Grim looks came over the gathered clan members.
“Lastly, the Jin clan will host the Imperial clan for the duration of the contest.”
Lu Chang was ignorant of most of the context of the conversation, but the implication of the Jin clan hosting the Imperial clan members was unsettling regardless. Lord Feng continued again.
“The Imperial clan members will arrive tomorrow. We must be there to welcome them.”
Lord Feng rattled off orders in quick succession to the elders crowding the room, and they each sped off to complete them. When they had all left, it was only Mei and Lu Chang left with Lord Feng. He sighed wearily and slumped in his chair.
“MeiMei, It will be up to you for this tournament. We have no other disciples of comparable power. Are you confident?”
With a hesitant glance at Lu Chang, she nodded.
“I am, grandfather.”
He nodded, satisfied.
“It will also be up to you to form good relationships with the younger generation of Imperial clan members that come to compete.”
Mei nodded seriously, then asked.
“How many will be coming?”
Lord Feng grimaced again.
“Unknown.”
Mei turned to leave, but Lord Feng stopped her.
“One more thing. By the emperor’s decree, no slaves can participate in the contest. I know you would ask, but there’s nothing to be done.”
Mei frowned heavily at that, but nodded and left, Lu Chang on her heels. They walked in silence back to her rooms, where she immediately dove face-first into Lu Chang’s bed and screamed incomprehensibly. After she was done screaming, she sat up and looked seriously at Lu Chang.
“Lu Chang, you have to help me get stronger before this contest. I can’t shame the Feng clan.”
He agreed easily, but had to ask.
“What is this contest anyway?”
Mei thought for a moment before responding.
“Its.. an unofficial way to rank the clans. It usually only happens every hundred years and wasn’t due for decades, but the emperor can command it to occur. It’s just a martial contest for the younger generation of the clans, but it’s taken very seriously. The Long clan won the last contest, and you know how they’re treated.”
“I see.”
Silence stretched on, then Mei spoke up hesitantly.
“Lu Chang? I am sorry for what I said the other day.”
Lu Chang smiled fondly.
“Yeah, I know. It’s alright.”
They spent the rest of the evening planning Mei’s training and readying themselves for the welcoming party in the morning. Lu Chang was curious about this Imperial clan, and the contest.
He looked forward to the morning.