Chang-li was just coming down the stairs from the training room, intending to go to the kitchen and make a meal of whatever food was on hand, when Min popped up from the front drawing room. Her hair was up, but she looked a bit frazzled.

"I'm glad I caught you. I just received word that several cultivation officials are on their way."

His spine stiffened. A quick wave of nausea washed over him. He started to speak, but his throat was tight. He cleared his throat and said, "Oh?”

“It should just be routine." Min bit her lip. "A review of our paperwork in preparation for ending this tower cull. Once the bridal competition is over, they'll be wrapping up. But..."

Chang-li nodded. "I understand."

"Anyway," she said briskly, "as you are sect scribe, as well as one of our Young Masters, you should be there."

Chang-li looked down at himself. He was wearing sweat-stained sparring clothes. "I'll just go change then, shall I?" he suggested.

She nodded. "You might want to wash your face as well."

She disappeared back into the drawing room, and Chang-li took himself off. The sect house had a lovely bathing facility with a deep bathtub kept constantly full of warm water. There was a lux device attached to it that warmed the water and circulated it, cleaning it of impurities constantly. It seemed to him like a decadent luxury, but Min had told him such devices were common on the upper petals of Vardin City. It was harder, she pointed out, to haul water up from the lake than to employ such devices, especially in cultivator housing, since they could replenish the lux themselves. The governor's palace was equipped with dozens of the devices, but the Brotherhood had only two.

Chang-li stripped to the waist and washed with the basin beside the deep tub. He longed to climb in the tub and soak but he didn’t have time. He combed and tied back his hair. It had grown out a good deal, and he'd be looking like a proper Young Master soon if he kept it up. Then he headed back to his quarters and changed into a fresh tunic and trousers and covered them with his best robe, which was getting slightly worn.

His perspective on that had shifted quite a bit. He'd never worn anything nearly this fine growing up. No one on his whole street had owned a silk robe. His mother patched her own garments and kept them in good repair, which reminded him to send her more money. He had checked with Min, and a disciple of his rank was entitled to an allowance from the sect. Considering the treasures he and Joshi had brought in, he felt no qualms about drawing that allowance. If he sent it now, it might reach Yellow Sky City before winter and enable his mother to move into a warmer, wind-tight home.

Chang-li was heading for the door when his eye fell on his brush case. It looked to be where he'd left it, but it was askew. Maybe Min had moved it. He picked it up and channeled a bit of lux inside. Scribe Wulan emerged, looking irritated.

"I was just enjoying a lovely dream. Why are you here? Are we going to go back and visit the Cultivator Library again? I could do with another session under Rose's tutelage."

Chang-li shook his head. "Just thought I'd see how you're doing."

"I'm bored," Wulan said. He spun in place, looking around. "You haven't taken me anywhere interesting in weeks.”

"You said you didn't want me to bring you into the tower here,” Chang-li retorted.

"That's because the lux here tastes bland. Rose said that the over-harvested towers have that effect. Do you know what it’s like to be stuck with stale lux? Unable to cycle it away? We should go to another wild tower. You haven't made very much progress toward the Peak of Spiritual Refinement," Wulan said, tilting his head as he gazed critically at Chang-li. "You'd better hurry up with that. Once you reach it, we'll be able to remove my bond from you and transfer me back to the Morning Mist Headquarters."

"You really want to spend eternity in the ruins of a long-dead sect?" Chang-li asked skeptically.

"My predecessors will await me there. You have no idea what it's like to be a shade, so don't question me," Wulan said. "And remember what I told you. The longer it takes, the greater the chance that we're never able to separate completely. I'm getting tired of having my naps interrupted by your impulses and emotions."

Chang-li laughed and put his pen case down. The shade vanished.

He passed Joshi on his way in to the main building. "Did Min tell you that cultivation officials are calling on us?" Chang-li asked.

Joshi grunted. "She did. I asked, and she said they probably won't need me. If they do, I'll be upstairs."

"Training?" Chang-li asked.

Joshi hesitated. "I thought I'd see how the acolytes are doing with the patterns I taught them last week," he said stiffly.

Chang-li grinned. “An excellent plan." Ever since their spat with Li Jiya, Joshi had taken a greater interest in the acolytes' training as though to show he wasn't like her.

Joshi disappeared up the stairs, Magen bobbing along behind him. The little lux creature had grown and thrived at this tower. Its body was a much deeper blue hue, and it was now nearly the size of Chang-li's head. It could still go invisible when it wished, making it a useful scout. Chang-li wanted to research the expected growth of such creatures, but it was far down the very long list of tasks he set himself.

He ducked into the library, where Min had a pot of tea and a platter of rice wraps and fresh fruit waiting. Chang-li snagged a fish-filled rice wrap and ate it. As Min looked him up and down, she nodded in approval. "You certainly look the part," she said.

Chang-li felt the part. Maybe it was the ring Noren had given him. He really did feel like a Young Master now.

"Remember," Min said. "This isn't fake. We really are a sect. You really are a Young Master. All our paperwork is in order."

Chang-li and the Brotherhood had worked together to forge more paperwork. That documentation, filed at the Cultivation Office, was now part of the sect's permanent record. And the latest set of records they'd been issued weren't falsified at all. Each of the new acolytes had a shiny, authentic license to cultivate.

Chang-li heard a rap at the door. Min hurried past him. "I'll get it," she said. "You wait here."

There was a murmur of low voices and a shuffle as the officials left their street shoes by the door, slipping into the provided house shoes, before following Min into the receiving room. Chang-li recognized the face of the first official, but not his name, the man he'd spoken to at Prism Eri’s party. Chang-li listened as they were introduced. The head official was Inspector Bing. The two with him were Subrogator Ji and Scribe Dao. Chang-li's eyes flickered to the scribe's hand. He wore the ring marking him as a licensed scribe. A pang of regret went through Chang-li. He had gained so much, becoming a cultivator, marrying Min, but he had lost something important to him as well.

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Inspector Bing took the offered seat beside the table, and his two aides knelt behind him. Chang-li sat cross-legged with Min, pouring tea and looking on.

"Cultivator Wu," Inspector Bing said. "It states in your sect paperwork that you are the sect scribe as well as a cultivator."

Chang-li nodded. "Yes. That's not common, but obviously permitted."

"You will take responsibility for the condition of sect records, then?"

Beside him, Min tensed. Chang-li licked his lips. "Yes, of course." Had one of their forgeries been discovered?

Licensed Scribe Dao laughed. "Now I know why all of your records were in such good shape. Nothing like having a properly trained scribe and not just whoever the sect hires who can wield a brush."

Inspector Bing gave him a withering look, and the scribe subsided. But Chang-li felt immediately more relaxed.

"We just have a few paperwork questions to review. Nothing major. And we need to arrange for the surrender of Young Master Joshi's license."

A flash of panic stabbed through Chang-li. "For what?"

Inspector Bing looked surprised. "In order to see to his upgraded record once he and the Indigo Princess are married, of course."

"Oh." Chang-li let out a sigh. He had his own cultivation record with him, the red leather-wrapped version he'd received on marrying Min. Of course, Joshi would need the same, but he wasn't going to like having to surrender his license, not when he was set against the marriage actually taking place. Chang-li cast around for an excuse to stall for time.

"We'll be sure to have that sent over," he began, just as Grandmaster Noren appeared in the door. The Grandmaster looked every inch a cultivator, his robe tied with an elegant sash, a silver chain around his neck bearing the Morning Mist's crest. The visitors rose, and Chang-li jumped to his feet as well. Noren exchanged greetings with the visitors, then settled himself at the table.

“Ah, guests. What can the Sect of Morning Mist do for you?” he asked. His eyes flicked to Chang-li, only for an instant. His expression was serene, inscrutable.

Inspector Bing cleared his throat. “We were just discussing the updated records for your sect."

"Yes, though as the competition has not yet concluded, I don't see there's any rush to get that done. I expect a commendation in our records when it's all over," Noren said, smiling archly.

Inspector Bing blinked. "Uh, you are referring to the commendation that the winning sect will receive?"

"Obviously," Noren waved a careless hand. "Young Master Li Jiya is by far and away the most talented cultivator in the competition. She will make a fine bride for the Emperor. What other business have you here?"

The inspector looked to his aide, who brought out a slate covered with chalk notations. “The Dowager Pearl requested that we inform you of the opportunities awaiting your sect after this. There are several upcoming tower culls appropriate for a sect of your distinction over in the same province.”

Chang-li leaned forward, a flash of excitement stirring in him. Noren steepled his hands together. “Go ahead,” he invited, as Chang-li listened for the details. Their next tower cull could be the most important step he’d taken yet. But if Noren was involved — no. Chang-li told himself to find out the details before he leapt to his fears.

“We have a scheduled tower cull of the Tower at Havaldan City. Prism Nai Hong oversees Black Hills Province as well and has indicated he's willing to accept your sect. The buy-in is set at 8,000 kwam per Young Master, 4,000 for inner disciples, and 2,000 for lesser disciples."

Noren was nodding. "A bit steep, but that tower is always profitable."

Chang-li wanted desperately to ask questions but didn't want to reveal his lack of knowledge. He glanced at Min, whose eyes narrowed. She seemed to catch on because she turned to the inspector.

"Inspector, forgive me. As you know, we are a small sect, and I am currently the only spouse we have. I'm taking my training from old texts, but unfortunately, some areas have been neglected. Why such a high buy-in? We didn't need to buy in at Golden Moon."

The inspector smiled benevolently at her. “That is because Golden Moon is a broken tower. Sects receive a stipend for helping at such tower culls. To participate in a tower cull at an established tower of known quality, of course, you have to expect to buy in. The fee is set low enough to guarantee a solid return for any sect who does their part, high enough to dissuade freeloaders.”

Chang-li’s heart sank. Morning Mist had sold a few of the treasures they’d found in the tower, but the money had gone back out of their purse as fast as it came in. If he withdrew the 500 kwan quarterly allowance he was entitled to, they’d be very nearly out of money. 8,000 kwam just for him to enter a tower?

Min's brow wrinkled. She pulled an abacus from a side table where she liked to work and moved the beads back and forth for a minute, then looked up. "That's quite a sum. I'm not sure if Morning Mist can front it."

The inspector shrugged. "Understandable. On the other hand, your travel costs would be less because Havaldan City is only sixty miles from here. There's also a cull at Ramsnath City.”

"Where's that?" Min asked.

"In Bluewater Province," the aide said promptly.

Chang-li recalled the map of the empire. Bluewater Province was almost as far from here as Yellow Sky City, but far to the north, up against the auspicious ocean. In fact, if he remembered right, Ramsnath City was on an island some distance off the coast.

"The tower there is not broken, but less regularly culled. It's an underpopulated portion of the empire. Most of the people are fisherfolk. They've been reporting issues with oversized creatures in the past few months and their governor believes a cull would help."

That got Chang-li’s interest. He was, like Scribe Wulan, not particularly fond of this overly culled tower. One that offered greater challenge appealed. He might make progress toward Spiritual Refinement, with that sort of opportunity.

"That's so far," Min whispered. She looked stricken. "So far." She shook her head back and forth.

Noren, however, was nodding. "It has a most pleasant climate, especially at this time of year. It might serve us very well. Anything else?"

The aide consulted his notes. "Um, General Li Nu Zhan is looking for cultivators to aid him in ending the war with the Darwur in the west. There's not, strictly speaking, a tower cull there, but he has access to two different towers as part of his logistics. You would be permitted to cultivate on a set schedule in between helping with the war."

"I very much doubt we have any interest in that war," Noren said smoothly.

"Isn't there anything, well, closer?" Min asked desperately. "And cheaper?"

The inspector looked taken aback. "There's a cull at Arinat Point, but that tower's on a two-year cycle. It’s not worth the time of a sect with such illustrious members as yourself."

"We will discuss our options," Noren said. "Anything else?"

There was a bit of concern about paperwork, which Chang-li answered smoothly and quickly. Finally, the officials left. Min escorted them to the door before returning, her face a mask of worry.

"I don't see how we can afford any of this," she said. "Not the fee, and certainly not to travel so far."

"What sort of help is your grandfather willing to give?" Noren asked.

Chang-li bit back an angry retort. He didn't want help from the Oaken Band Brotherhood. They'd done more than enough already. But he did want to hear what Min would say.

She shook her head. "I know that he won't want the sect going to Bluewater Province. It's so far. It'd take us a month just to get there. But to buy in at Havaldan?” Min shook her head. “So many kwam. How is it even possible to ask so much?”

"Sects, my dear, generally have purses considerably larger than ours," Noren said. "But I understand your apprehension."

"Maybe we should go to Arinat,” Chang-li suggested. “We could try to build up our purse and venture somewhere more exotic after that.”

"It's not worth your time," Noren said dismissively. "Oh, the acolytes could learn from it. Spend ten years or so pursuing that sort of tower cull, and they'll all make the Peak of Bodily Refinement. No, you need a challenge." Noren eyed him critically. "I've been meaning to bring it up to you, but I feel as though your cultivation is at a bit of an impasse currently."

Chang-li took a deep breath. He didn’t like that Noren had been foisted on him, but the senior cultivator was correct. He had been feeling the same himself. "I haven't made much progress toward the Peak of Spiritual Refinement since we've been here."

Noren pressed his lips together. "The best option would be to face a significant challenge, such as you faced at the broken tower. The Tower at Ramsnath might serve if it's dense enough to be affecting the outside wildlife. That suggests, rather than a rupture, a slow leak of lux. It's a less common failure model than a tower eruption, but it does occur."

Min was looking uncomfortable. "I think maybe we need to talk to my grandfather," she suggested.

Chang-li stood up. "We'll make a decision ourselves. We don't need his help," he said roughly. “Thank you, Grandmaster.” He stalked out to go find Joshi. The other man would want to know what had just been discussed.