Moon Fei and I beat feet after that, leaving the Taoist cultivator reeling. I promised to leave a message with a runner for her with a time and a place to meet in two days, then let her go.

Several turns later we relaxed into a slow walk back to the Inn. We passed several bridges over canals full of gondoliers before a now familiar Raven statue in the center of the square appeared.

"Fei, have you ever heard the words: operational security?"

"This one has not."

"It means to keep the need to know to those that need to know."

I didn’t want to harangue the man but he was leaking like a coffee press.

"..."

We walked in unfriendly silence for a few blocks before we were a bit away from the Inn.

"My shift doesn't start until nightfall," he said.

"I'm going to turn in then. I’ll be working on cycling through some of the aura around here."

He nodded.

I could tell that the divide between cultivators and the mundane humans was a long standing rift. It wasn't like the disparity between a CEO and a worker. It was more like Superman and Joe everyman. Even if I was barely better than I had been, three days of being in the thick aura, gathering qi and all had made me feel like I was on top of the world day after day.

I needed some pen and paper. Some way to take notes on the Sects trying to recruit me through these aggressive negotiations that I kept encountering. A sect had to be something like a prison gang; extra judicial, not at all a family but a close knit brotherhood of some sort. That or a crazy cult. At best it was a martial arts school gone crazy. At worst? One of those Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu places where they're just a little bit too into the acai bowls and snake oil treatments. Not that Tai Chi was immune, what with its deep connection to Qigong.

You're probably wondering what I'm on about. I've had far too many people show up to therapy touting how some miracle cure would save them and thus they wouldn't need therapy anymore. I always nodded and let them go gracefully, not even picking up that thread then they sheepishly called up the office to come back. I kept people's cases on file for six months after they left and invariably most of them would find their miracle cure, try it and then be back in the office before I had moved the file to cold storage. And I understand that there was a bit of government interference there making these things a bit more mainstream than they otherwise would be, but the truth is in the pudding.

It was Denver after all. There was a lot of alternative medicine going around. Not that you shouldn't keep doing the thing that you think works, but I wouldn't count on anything given to you by someone who sells essential oils.

I spent some time doing random shit in a hotel room. Mostly Tai chi practice and throwing my pillows.

Just a few times through a Tai Chi flow I had practiced for years got me to a good spot.

I was feeling some sort of way about the number of invitations that had piled up in my absence. I didn’t want to break any of the gorgeous furniture in the room.

—

Another man would have moved on to a different tavern, perhaps renting a room. I wasn't convinced that the powers that be were tracking me by some unknown method. I couldn't be that strong and they couldn't be hurting so badly that they needed me like this. Or perhaps this was just something that they did whenever an unaligned cultivator dropped into town.

Either way, it had the feeling of desperation. Like someone being tactically ignored, but desperate to connect. Something all too common for my clients with narcissistic parents.

"They only acknowledge me when I get straight A's" often turned into a bid for anyone to connect with them. This didn't play so well long term.

I didn't have the classic Asian parents playing tiger mom, but a lot of my old friends had that. I'm not going to say that the two were correlated, but yeah I was heavily not implying causation. I took the fact that just about everyone here looked similar to be shorthand for the fact that they were all from the same culture. Besides the mundane people, the Sects were a group apart. At least, based on the multiple invitations I kept receiving. Like seriously, how many Sects could possibly co-exist in this small area?

It made no sense, but then again I was thinking about it from a real world perspective. If this was the middle ages, words could not be passed around this fast. There had to be Sect runners, lackeys, mail clerks, a whole operation which made me think that it was going to be a bit like politics. Or was this some county fair and I was their sacred cow?

I did not want to wade into the politics of a world I had just joined. To be fair, I was only as politically active as I was on Earth because I had two daughters and the whole social worker turned therapist thing. At least that's what I told myself initially. Also my ex wife and now ex girlfriend had dragged me to enough events that I had started to make friends. It was the way I met my girlfriend, as my daughters had kept me going even after the divorce.

The thing about wives and ex girlfriends though was they could only take you to things while they had access to you.

Here? On this Dao forsaken planet? I was truly alone. No one was going to take me to a rally, whether I wanted it or not. I hated the prep work that surrounded the rally. I hated driving to them, sitting in traffic to hear speeches that might or might not actually end up doing anything but most of all I hated not being with my girls.

God, I missed them.

I sat down and had a good cry.

I didn't know if I could ever go back. Rachel andCourtney, they wouldn't know what happened to me and that was somehow worse than anything else. They wouldn't have a body to bury.

They wouldn't have closure.

Fuck! They might think that I ran away or got kidnapped or something. They might be twitchy for the rest of their lives and... Oh God it felt good to let it out.

I just sat there for a while. The comfort of being wanted by the Sects wasn't...well worth anything.

I began to tear up the letters one at a time, before I just flung the pile up in the air.

"Damn the heavens for taking me here. I'm going home if it's the last thing I do!"

I didn't believe a word of it.

I didn't believe a word of it, but I said it anyway.

I slept that night, uncertain of the future. Tossing and turning, it was hours before sleep caught me. I embraced it with my whole heart.

___

The morning saw me once again with a sheaf of invitations. I was beginning to think that there was a stationary cartel. Not the kind of cartel which stayed on one spot, mind you-the kind that was involved in the paper business. I was seriously considering opening a few, but I didn't have the heart to begin some grand adventure.

When I reached the ground floor, Moon Fei wasn't there. A quick look around the building and the only person on site was the day manager of the hotel.

It was time for me to get more permanent accommodations.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

I was going to go camping outside. It was time for some people watching.

But no, Wu had it out for me.

I stopped on a bench outside, admiring the ravens roost square with its small shops and bustling atmosphere. It made me forget that I wasn’t hungry. Normal Joe would have gone for some breakfast about now.

Wu approached me after a bit. I’ll admit I was a bit lost in thought when I saw the man sitting next to me, but I recovered quickly enough and greeted him.

How did he do it? His whole demeanor had changed. Rather than looking concerned about his Sects latest recruitment numbers, he looked like he was completely unbothered.

"Please don't float about this, but that talk about boundaries? It changed my life."

I nodded. His soft voice took me by surprise.

"Healing takes time. Progress takes time."

"This entire mess? Between the letters and the days of agonizing?"

It was such a pleasure to see a man who looked at peace, even if I couldn't find that same thing myself. All I had to do was nod and make sounds from time to time.

"I didn't realize just how much time the Sect had taken from me until you pointed it out, and now I feel like...like I can be myself."

"That's amazing, Wu. I'm so happy for you."

"This... Having boundaries, taking time for myself-everything we talked about-it just a fresh start now. No more Mister Sect recruiter. I'm going to work up my courage and tell them that I'm not staying."

I raised an eyebrow.

That might not have translated well. He immediately backpedaled.

"I mean I don't have to quit. I can stay as long as you think I should and..."

"You're looking for my approval. This is taking the ownership of your decision away from you. If you do that, and it goes badly, then you'll blame me for the outcome. You need to decide on things yourself. That's what therapy is for."

"Therapy? The word is unfamiliar."

"It's the active process that you're going through. It's what I did where I came from."

"You did therapy?"

"Did? More like give? It was my job."

"You're very good at it."

"I wouldn't say that, Wu... More like you were in the right position to hear what I had to say at the time and yeah. This is right for you, now."

"Well I like listening to you. It makes me feel like the Dao is in alignment now."

I chuckled a bit at him. He was driven, just needing a little nudge to get where he wanted. I was just a bit of a catalyst. Or maybe he was the catalyst and I was the solution? I don't remember chemistry that well.

"That's helpful."

If I couldn't find peace right here and now, giving someone inner peace would be a good start.

"What are you planning on doing now?"

"Well for starters...I have a heck of a lot of invitations to burn."

"Have you chosen a path yet?"

The man's eyes flickered like a flame as a small fire ignited itself on his extended index finger.

So cool.

I held back a grin. I really shouldn't let the strange cultivator with boundary issues know that I'm all about his special fire powers.

On the other hand, how many paths were there? I had to know. Paths and the knowledge of them? Was that public?

I really needed a library. Or maybe just like a wiki I could tap into.

"I have not. Care to enlighten me?"

Wu finally cracked a smile

"How much time do you have?"

Wu took a break when he realized that he was missing some critical information. He went for a jog down the street and returned with three scrolls.

I was endlessly grateful for whatever skill had granted me the ability to translate the path manuals he put in front of me.

"Usually these cost money, but since these three are introductory manuals, they're often used for recruiting."

I spread out the first of the manuals on the bench we were occupying. The jade inscriptions on the bench gave the location we were in.

___

Center Ravens Roost District.

__

The spread out scroll looked like a cross between a martial arts diagram with a long textual how to section. Both of these were above a rather wide footnote section, giving hints that this was but the first technique in a path. Not only was it the first technique, but it could be a branching path.

"This technique...can open up the door to several follow on techniques on the path?"

"It's often assumed that paths are static single thread lines, and there are very strong single thread paths that are recommended, but they are not so rigid. If one was trying to achieve a particularly well tested path, then one shouldn't stray too far."

It took me a minute.

"The elders have modified and moved around testing the best paths for centuries, haven't they? There isn't one rigid path, there are several, aren't they?"

I looked up from the path manual to see him nervously combing his hair. Seriously, the man buns and top knots in Spirit Hall had nothing on Wu. I took a look around to make sure that no one else was looking for either of us.

The only other people around us were several clumps of men and women walking arm and arm to and from a giant raven's nest. It had to be an art installation, or a large scale art project.

Or a secret villain's lair.

"The elders are very particular about which manuals they lend out to the general public but you're close to the truth. We keep that generational knowledge base with our scholars. They tend to humanity's advancement."

"Very curious. Well I would love to get more into all of this. I'm trying to pick a path and-of course- I would love to see all of my options."

"Of course," he said.

I didn't want to mention Moon Fei to Wu. I didn't know how the hopefully soon to be former Red Fang Sect cultivator would handle my usage of the mundane fixer. Come to think of it, if Fei had all of these connections, even if they were through his tea guy, he would be a steady source of the information that I couldn't get elsewhere.

I really missed google. Heck I might have taken bing. Imagine being thrust into another world and wishing you could get a mediocre search result. Yeah that kinda stung.

Wu promised that he would return later that day with some path manuals and like that I was alone again.

I reverted back to my old mainstay. People watching.

So many people walked by this area of the town, which to be fair was pretty central. Between several large open roads leading in all directions and the heavy buildings, I got the distinct feeling that Spirithall was a go between. Not too much traffic traveled north, so I decided to take a stroll and see what was up with that. It wasn't long until I reached a large river where hundreds of fish swam in schools. Above the river and ahead of me, a three lane wide bridge led from where I was -clearly slumming it- to a far richer area.

That small amount of northwestern travel trickled to a very contained drip across the river. Imposing guards held up walkers looking for some sort of paperwork. A bribe, probably?

It had to be a bribe with the amount of Waan changing hands

___

"Professional Services come with a professional price tag." That was the quote my father had on his desk when I came by to let him know it was time to celebrate.

I had done all of the required hours for my California LCSW, and it was time for a celebration. Of course my one every four months having a beer with the old man ceremony never went anywhere near problematic, but the past two years we had been enjoying a nice local root beer instead.

It had been strange to me that his time as a professional engineer and my time opening up my own shop would be the first time we could connect on something business related.

"Took you long enough," he said.

"Yeah. I just needed that nudge."

"Do you understand the business model?"

"Dad, like I told you, I can't really advertise the way that other businesses do."

He nodded.

"You can hang a shingle up though, and I might know a guy with a great 3d printer. Be warned, he tends to over engineer things."

"That would be much appreciated."

We sat in companionable silence for a bit. The girls were with my ex wife for the day and I had taken a drive up to see my father in Vegas. Of course he was the one structural engineer who had decided to specialize in the entertainment industry. They paid well, or not at all. It didn't hurt that he was banned from playing blackjack at nearly every place we went to. So long as his business involved professional engineering, the powers that be let him hang about.

"You got a name for the place?"

"Honestly, no. For now? I'm going to join a co-op. It's expensive to rent a place on your own and a lot of therapy is delivered over the internet now..."

We paused as a coterie of drag queens marched past us. They looked fabulous. At least they could have been drag queens with their sparking dresses.

"Everyone has their own thing about real estate and renting. Yours might be particular because of your relationship with your patients. You'll work it out I am certain. Have you already got some clients lined up?"

"You know it."

I didn't want to get into it with him about how I had been picking up clients who had more money. It helped me with the handful of pro bono cases that I wanted to take on. It wasn't like everyone had insurance even if they should, even those with insurance didn't get everything paid for... There was usually a co-pay. All because some asshole doctor way back when didn't want to ask for payment directly. That spawned insurance, the middlemen of healthcare. The bane of my existence.

___

Or at least it was. I saw a very thoroughly designed sign atop the final shop before the bridge. That was a professional job. The sleek black lines and silver plating stood in contrast to the stone bridge.

I wondered how many shops I had passed during my reverie. How many shops like that where it was clear that two or more generations had poured out their lives into the place. The building looked to be multiple use, with three floors above it dedicated to one or more families.

I missed my girls and it was so rough seeing the kids running around the stoop there just trying to kick a ball between themselves. Maybe someday the ache would go away. One of the boys kicked the ball too hard and it stopped in front of me.

I sheepishly picked it up and returned it to them.

"Thanks mister!"

"Thanks!"

The two boys with long black hair began to play again. I pushed back that ache and turned to the bridge. The wide open bridge would have been perfect for them to play ball on. The water underneath was only two meters below. The canal, though lovely, gave up so much public space.

Dozens of gondolas passed underneath it in the midday sun. Opulent red and gold gondolas took official looking men and the occasional woman between meetings.

This would be an excellent spot for the Taoist cultivator to meet me. The mass of city runners who were able to deliver notes for a price made me feel like not only was Spirit Hall a big neighborhood, but also a large mail room.

I saw two of the city runners pass by the bridge guard without him even batting an eye. He nodded to me before resuming his endless watch. The poor guy must have assumed the pose for hours at a time.

The kids were back at it with kicking the ball around and I just sat there for a while before turning around.

I sighed before heading back to central Spirit Hall and the Raven's roost.