“Noren's reputation is solid. The Oaken Band Brotherhood had greased a few palms to help his paperwork look even better.” Min’s grandfather sat behind his desk, drinking tea, looking pleased with himself, as Min stood in front of him, trying to keep her features respectful.

“He is… he isn’t what I expected,” Min ventured. In her mind she had thought the cultivator her grandfather was bringing in would be a figurehead, someone she could manipulate subtly to keep official attention off of Chang-li and what he was doing to try to rebuild the sect. She’d even imagined it could be a beneficial relationship for all involved. But Noren wasn’t the washed-up sectless cultivator desperate for a position she’d expected. No… he seemed like, well, a grandmaster. And that wasn’t good.

The two days since Grandmaster Noren's arrival had been confusing. Chang-li wasn't precisely ignoring her. They conversed politely over meals and inquired as to each other's health at the end of the day. He had been busy with Joshi and Li Jiya on the bridal tournament, but now that convenient excuse was removed for a few days.

Tonight, the third phase of the competition would officially begin. Two more sects were being dropped, leaving five, including Morning Mists. They had already been informed that Li Jiya would be required to spend several days in interviews with various officials who would judge her worthiness and provide an advantage for the next contest if she proved herself worthy.

That meant time for everyone else to work on their cultivation. Min was worried Chang-li would find himself head-to-head with Grandmaster Noren.

Her grandfather set down his tea and placed his hands together.

"It is a good situation for all of us. Brother Stone says he has the junior disciples well in hand. Once we have a few more disciples at Peak of Bodily Refinement, I plan to recruit another group of acolytes," her grandfather pronounced.

Min's stomach froze, tight in a knot. "What is your ambition here, Grandfather?" she asked him quietly.

He blinked at her. "The same as yours, Min. To establish a strong sect, one that can nurture many cultivators. This will provide opportunity to so many of our people."

She wet her lips. "Grandfather, but that's not truly what a sect is for."

He shook his head, clearly not comprehending her meaning. "Is it not to benefit the most people?"

She couldn’t articulate why she no longer agreed with him, why her loyalties were shifting. No, not her loyalties. She still believed in the Oaken Band and its plans, but she saw now that her grandfather’s schemes might well push Chang-li to his limits. How could she ensure that she and Chang-li were allowed to continue progressing as they had?

“I want you to work with Noren to organize the sect,” her grandfather said. “You have the skills to grow it three, five, ten times over. Let him handle the training. You can manage the people. This may be the most important task you manage for the Brotherhood until the day you take over from me. Tell me what assets you need, what people. A dedicated scribe? A pair of fixers? You’ll have them.”

Min couldn’t quite meet his eyes. “Of course but —”

“But what?”

“I — I want to continue cultivating. I need time to work on my own progression. I’m so far behind Chang-li, and he’s racing forward all the time. If I don’t keep up he’ll leave me behind.”

Her grandfather looked uncomprehending. “You’re not a cultivator, you’re his spouse. You don’t need to bother with all that. Aren’t there elixirs? We can see about acquiring —”

She interrupted. “That’s not how I want to progress.” How could she explain it to him, the feeling of making yourself stronger, better, by your own hard work? He understood that drive, but he’d never be able to see the difference between doing it the right away or using a pill. Grandfather would see both as tools to be used on the path to power. He wasn’t wrong. But when Min saw Chang-li working late into the night to study the scrolls looking for techniques, or spending hours cycling, it made her want to come alongside him and do the hard work.

She cleared her throat. “If that’s all, Grandfather?”

He smiled at her. “I will see you tonight, I hope. Your brother was kind enough to invite me to the ceremony. Just think, three prisms in our city at once! This is unprecedented. Your marriage has brought us good luck, Min. I shall have to see about a present for your husband, I think.”

Min bowed her head, and returned to the sect, to find herself alone with her thoughts. This afternoon Chang-li, Joshi, and Li Jiya were on their final tower trip of this phase of the bridal tournament. Li Jiya's place was already secure, and they were hoping to make breakthroughs on their path to Peak of Spiritual Refinement.

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Grandmaster Noren had the disciples working in the training room. Min felt guilty whenever she saw him and avoided him as much as possible. So she spent the morning directing the servants the Brotherhood had hired in various tasks before her feeling of uselessness completely overwhelmed her, and she retreated to the quarters she shared with Chang-li.

Servants had been in here tidying, scrubbing the floor, and rolling the futon away for the day. Chang-li's desk sat in a corner. Though he had a larger table in the sect library alongside hers, he often worked at night here, sitting on the floor with the lap desk in front of him, translating scrolls. Some of them had been left out.

Min moved to put them away in their chest. She set one aside and disturbed pages bearing the unmistakable writing of an official scribe. It must be some sect paperwork that had mistakenly gotten in with Chang-li's belongings.

Min picked up the pages. Her eyes fell on the words.

"My dearest son,

I received your letter and gift yesterday. Nothing could have delighted me more. Although you said you wished the money to pay for our next season's rent, I must tell you that your brother and his wife have welcomed their third child, a son at last, who they have named Chang-ul in your honor. Unfortunately, he takes after their firstborn, not healthy little Amyan. He is very sick and I fear will suffer the same fate as poor Eeya if we do not take him to see a skilled healer. Your gift will enable us to pay for an apothecary’s potions. I hope you will forgive me for making this choice.

More importantly, I was delighted to hear of your marriage. What more can any mother ask for than her son? You say your bride is clever, beautiful, and good-natured. I long to meet her and hope that someday your path, strange as it is, may bring you back to my doorstep."

Min stopped herself from reading further, but she noticed the last lines bore the name of the scribe who had written the letter on Chang-li's mother's behalf and a small inked print where she had pressed her wooden seal to the page to make her imprint.

Min turned away and stared out the open window, unseeing. She had known Chang-li's family was poor. He'd spoken of his efforts to become a scribe, how his brother had worked extra hours late into the night to afford his schooling, how his mother had taken in boarders, but nothing had quite prepared her for this.

Her life had been one of great privilege. Born in a palace, raised by wealthy and powerful individuals, always able to have input on her own destiny. Chang-li had fought for everything he had. No wonder he was so sensitive, not just to the fear that her grandfather would take from him what he had, but also to the idea of owing anyone anything. She should have seen it and been more understanding. What was she going to do now that her father and her family and her husband were clashing so strongly?

Min heard Chang-li clear his throat behind her. She spun. He stood in the doorway. She put her hands on the papers behind her back, then, realizing how foolish that was, instead held them out to Chang-li.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry. I was tidying up the scrolls. Didn't realize what they were until I'd read them."

He took the letter from her, folded it carefully, and put it away.

"I'm glad you told her about us," Min said, trying to keep the conversation light.

"She's my mother." He didn’t look at her. "I want her to know everything important that happens in my life."

"How far from here is Yellow Sky City?" Min asked. She had a basic grasp of the geography of the empire, but Yellow Sky City wasn't a provincial capital or economic powerhouse. She'd never even heard of the place before meeting Chang-li.

"It took me three weeks' travel time to reach Golden Moon from my last posting, and that was six days from Yellow Sky City."

"So far," Min whispered.

"I might see them again. It's possible," Chang-li said. "As a cultivator, I have a better chance than I did as a scribe."

Min wasn't sure what else she could say. She stamped down an impulse to offer to help to put her family resources at his disposal. He'd made it very clear he didn't want that. Instead, she said, "I want to help you progress. I want to keep progressing myself. My grandfather doesn't understand that at all. He thinks I'm wasting time that would be better put to getting the sect organized."

"I'm sure if I can't find time to take you training, Grandmaster Noren can," Chang-li said flatly. "Or has your grandfather forbidden him?"

Min felt stung."No, that is, I haven't asked because I don't want him to teach me."

"Well, if I have time, I'll see what I can do. Joshi and I are trying to figure out how to reach the Peak of Spiritual Refinement. I'm hoping perhaps the floor boon will be some insight. Sometimes they are, you know. A floor guardian will help a cultivator understand what he's missing."

Min's eyes went wide. "The floor boon. You haven't uncovered any more clues?" she asked. An idea started to form. Something she could do for him, that no-one else could.

Chang-li shook his head. "No, but the prize for doing well in next week's examinations is supposedly another clue. Li Jiya is hopeful one more will give us enough."

Min wanted to speak, but held off. If she promised something she couldn't deliver, it would be worse than not saying anything at all. But her germ of an idea seemed promising. If it grew… "I thought you were with Li Jiya now?” she said, trying not to get distracted.

"It got frustrating not having any idea how to advance farther. It feels like every time I'm starting to get my footing, someone knocks them out from under me."

Min felt guilty again.

Chang-li shook his head. "It's not about you. I'm just becoming more aware of how much I don't know.” He busied himself for a few minutes before making an excuse and leaving again.

It was time she got to work. Min went to her dressing nook and began repairing her hair. Then she applied the proper amount of cosmetics for a cultivator spouse who was going to pay a call on another sect.

She hesitated a moment, considering her reflection in the silvered mirror. Would Chang-li see this as more interference? No. This wasn’t a matter of bringing in Brotherhood assets. It was her duty as his spouse to help advance the sect. In this case, by gaining them an advantage in the next challenge, finding the floor guardian and gaining its boon.

First, she would call on Serene Water. Then, she thought, Silver Crane. Yes, they would be a good place to start.