Lu Na was wearing the same red tunic as Sun Ren’s junior sisters. One of Sun Ren’s junior sister had already returned to Lu Na’s room, dressed in her old clothes.

Sun Ren was back in her old dark red tunic and wearing her sword. And if Lu Na had to guess, she had already strapped all her daggers underneath.

Lu Na was carrying a large bag that hid her face as they waited to leave the Lu compound. Only one man stopped them. It was the most infuriating man alive.

Head servant Cui Yi was groveling and praising Sun Ren. He kept mentioning how happy her father, Lu Tien, was to host such a wonderful guest and that if she needed anything to come again. Lu Na had never seen him so happy yet slimy before. It was groveling he’d normally reserve for her second mother.

“Yes, yes, enough head servant Cui. We must be going, as my father’s command is very urgent,” Sun Ren said.

Cui Yi bowed low at the waist.

“Of course Young Miss Sun. I hope you have safe travels back to the Sun compound.”

Sun Ren brushed past the man and hurried out into the streets of Jianye.

No one stopped Lu Na even as she walked past Cui Yi. The man bowed so low that his mustache seemed to almost reach the ground.

It didn’t take long before Sun Ren led them through the streets of Jianye to the western gate. A few soldiers stopped them at certain checkpoints, but when they saw Sun Ren’s badge, they let her through. The trip was a lot faster now that they weren’t being pursued by the Wintersweet Sect disciples.

“Junior sisters, wait for us here while Lu Na and I visit her Uncle Chen. Hen Li, do you think you can back them up in case the Wintersweet Sect shows up?” Sun Ren asked.

“Amituofo. Of course.” Hen Li bowed.

The pair walked through the darkened streets to reach the familiar boarded up shop. It was a drastic change from the Mid-Autumn Festival. There were still people walking the streets late at night. There were many more soldiers patrolling.

Lu Na knocked on the boards. She alternated her knocking with a quick pattern that Uncle Chen taught her.

Two of the boards came down before one of Uncle Chen’s guards stepped out. He was the one with the spider spirit.

“Ah, Lu Na. You’re back again,” he greeted them. “Please come in. Your Uncle is in the back, finishing his dinner.”

“Thank you,” Lu Na said with a small bow of her head. Uncle Chen wasn’t really her uncle, but a man that her mother introduced to her that dealt with spirit inventions.

Uncle Chen’s store was filled to the ceiling with many products that were used for spirit offerings. There were many things in here that people used to pray to their spirits or ancestors in hopes of prosperity. Many of the summoner sects frequent it within the city.

A nearly bald man came walking out with his mouth stuffed half full with a gaozi. He had on an expensive silk tunic that was partially unbuttoned, showing off his inner garment.

“Little Na Na, is everything okay?”

“Of course, Uncle Chen. Why would you ask that?” Lu Na said.

“The last time you came to me in the middle of the night, you were running away from the Wintersweet Sect and your friend was unconscious.”

“This time is better. They haven’t attacked yet.”

Uncle Chen fixed his tunic before clasping his hands and bowing to Sun Ren.

“Young Miss Sun. My apologies for the mess. I didn’t know you would be here.”

“No, it should be us who apologize for interrupting your meal late at night. But we should hurry.”

“Oh?” Uncle Chen looked between the two ladies.

“Sorry Uncle Chen, I can’t explain too much. I came here because of my mother. Can we talk somewhere private?”

“Hey, you two. Guard outside. Make sure no one is lurking around.”

The two guards nodded and walked away.

“It’s not that I don’t trust them, but…”

Uncle Chen waved his hand to dismiss the notion.

“What is it about your mother?”

“I’m not sure how to say this but—”

“You activated the hairpin?” Uncle Chen asked.

“Yes, how did you know?”

“Come with me.”

Uncle Chen led them deeper into the store. They were now in the small storage section filled with so many types of incense. The smell was overwhelming and it reminded Lu Na of every Buddhist temple she’d ever stepped into.

“Okay, we should be safe here. The incense not only distracts any potential spirits from listening, but I also have a few of those spirit walls you gave me,” Uncle Chen said. “Now tell me, did your mother tell you to find me?”

“Yes, but how?”

“Your mother must have been working with Uncle Chen this whole time before she left,” Sun Ren said.

“That is correct. She told me the secret of the hairpin that you always wore. I couldn’t explain it to you until it activated.”

“So you knew the last time I was here?” Lu Na asked.

“I always knew. But there was a part of me that hoped your mother would have come back before it activated and I wouldn’t need to bother. But since it’s come to this, I’ll honor your mother’s last wishes.”

“Wait, what do you mean last wishes?”

Uncle Chen frowned.

“She said that if the hairpin were to ever activate, it would mean she failed and that she was dead.”

“No, that’s not true. I talked with her a month ago. She’s alive,” Lu Na said.

“Truly? I guess that makes sense, since your hairpin wasn’t supposed to activate so soon. But I can guess that you’re going to find her now? The hairpin should have shown you a map to where she was.”

“It did but it was too fast to write,” Sun Ren said. “We hoped that you’d know where it was exactly.”

“I can do better.” Uncle Chen removed a small ceramic jar from the corner that held large sticks of incense. There was a small wooden box underneath it. He wiped off the dust from it. “Here. Inside there’s a paper map for where the location is. I’ve also put in a little bit of money and a long bill for your mother. Make sure she gets it.”

Lu Na bowed when she took the box. She shouldn’t be surprised that Uncle Chen also had a bill for her mother. When she finally settled down back in the Lu compound, he sent an enormous bill to her father that he paid off. It included all the medical bills for the guards and other things down to the smallest detail of every yellow paper Lu Na took during her run from the Wintersweet Sect.

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“Thank you, Uncle Chen.”

“It’s the least I can do to repay your mother,” Uncle Chen said. “Just promise me you’ll come back safely, no matter what. I miss your mother, but you are very important to me as well.”

“Of course Uncle Chen. I didn’t know I mattered so much to you.”

Uncle Chen smiled in that fatherly way that Lu Tien never showed her.

“That and your inventions are selling better than any golden dumpling ever made. Not only the summoner sects want them, regular people are buying them in bulk. That they can stand up to powerful summoners like the Wintersweet Sect has given them more confidence to walk these streets. But I am sad that you will leave without making any more.”

“Uncle Chen, I made hundreds of them since I came back. You should be fine for a while,” Lu Na said. She didn’t have the heart to tell Uncle Chen that all those were practice ones she made to learn how to make them activate without a spirit shaping the walls.

“Well, I’ll have to charge more now that you’re going to be gone.” Uncle Chen bowed low to Sun Ren. “Please Young Miss Sun, protect Na Na. I know she can be a little helpless but she’s precious to me.”

Sun Ren bowed her head.

“Of course. She’s my best friend and future supplier of spirit wards. I understand the value of such a worker.”

Lu Na forced a smile as she stared at these two. Was that all she was to them? A potential slave for their ambitions? Yet she couldn’t fault them. These two saved her life when there was nowhere else to turn. Lu Na would be happy to make a thousand wards for them.

But then, after some thought, maybe she too should start charging more for her services.

Uncle Chen was a one stop shop for the two ladies. They could buy all the travel necessities from dry foods to an extra set of clothes. It was one of the few advantages of selling so many things for visiting summoners.

When they were about to leave, Uncle Chen gave Lu Na one last gift, a wooden badge with two intricate words carved into its face. It read “martial justice.”

“Na Na, if you ever run into trouble, you can show this to whoever it is, and they might let you go,” Uncle Chen said. “I received that badge from one of the strongest summoners in the land. I helped him when he was totally broke and starving. People might still respect his reputation and leave you alone.”

“Thank you, Uncle Chen.” Lu Na looked at it with her spirit sight and saw nothing special about it.

“Let me see that,” Sun Ren said. She looked closely at the carving on the badge. “I’ve only ever had one chance to see this man’s true writing when he visited my father. This is the real thing. When we come back, tell us the story.”

“Is he really that famous?” Lu Na asked.

“He’s the traveling vagrant that has gone and saved so many people across the country,” Uncle Chen said. “Both governments and bandits respect him. Even the rebels wouldn’t attack him or those he protects. So hold on to this Na Na. It might be very useful in the future.”

Lu Na put it away into her chest pocket.

“Let’s go,” Sun Ren said. “I’m sure Zhou Gongjin is waiting for us by now and he hates doing that.”

The two ladies bowed to Uncle Chen, but he hugged Lu Na instead.

“Please come back safely Na Na. Even if your mother doesn’t come back, you have to. Promise me.”

Lu Na had never been hugged by Uncle Chen before like this. It made her blush.

“Yes, Uncle Chen.”

Once they left the store, Lu Na’s spirit stirred in her chest.

“Finally! Your Uncle Chen is a madman for putting so many spirit warding incense in there.”

“So that’s why you’ve been quiet this whole time,” Lu Na said. “I wonder if Uncle Chen would let me study that incense. Maybe I can finally have some peace and quiet.”

“You wouldn’t want to use it too much or else you might be addicted,” Sun Ren said. “I didn’t want to say anything, but it seemed appropriate for what he gave us. Besides, your spirit can’t be that bad.”

“Oh, she’s not. But sometimes she makes these comments that make even Buddha blush.”

“All the more reason to practice summoner arts. It will teach you how to control the spirit’s urges and keep her thoughts to herself.”

“You hear that spirit? Keep your thoughts to yourself.”

“Child, I’m never keeping my thoughts to myself because you’re too naïve and young to understand the world. You need my guidance. How else would you be able to attract a handsome man?” Her spirit laughed.

Soon after, they walked out toward the west gate. Sun Ren’s bodyguards all stood at attention, on the lookout for Wintersweet Sect members. Their dark red tunics blended in with the night. There was no one else around aside from a few guards at the gate.

“Young Miss Sun, you’re finally back,” Zhou Gongjin said. The man was dressed in a light red robe and wore a coronet atop his head. He had a light fan that he used to fan himself. His youthful face always caught Lu Na by surprise. “I hope you know that I have many duties to perform now that your father is back. I can’t meet you at all times of the night like this.”

“I apologize Strategist Zhou, but this can’t wait,” Sun Ren said. “I just received important information regarding the incident I told you about last time dealing with Lu Na’s mother. We have to leave right now in search of a powerful artifact.”

“Oh, then what can I do for you?” Zhou Gongjin bowed his head.

“I need you to escort my junior sisters back to the Sun compound and then create a distraction for the Wintersweet Sect. The last thing we need is for them to be following us.”

“That should be easy. Their sect is in great disarray after your last visit to them. I doubt they could chase you even if they wanted to. But I will do as you command. Anything to tell your father?”

Sun Ren reached into her chest pocket and pulled out a letter.

“Give this to him when you see him and no one else. Hopefully, my father will know what to do with this information.”

Zhou Gongjin put it away before bowing.

“One last thing. We were hoping to leave the city now. And since I know that you’re friends with the western gate commander, we were hoping you’d get him to open the gate for us.”

“Of course. I’m assuming Young Miss Lu is going with you as well?” Zhou Gongjin smiled and bowed toward Lu Na.

“Ooh, the handsome man is talking with you,” her spirit said. “Maybe your father could arrange a marriage with him.”

Lu Na bowed, her eyes twitching a little. One of these days, her spirit was going to cause her to either do something embarrassing or go crazy.

Zhou Gongjin walked away toward the gate commander’s office.

“Senior Sun, we should come with you. We could provide support for you on the road,” Ma Yunlu said.

“Junior sisters, I need you all to continue to observe the Wintersweet Sect as well as all the other summoner sects within the city,” Sun Ren said. “When I come back, I’ll have with me a powerful artifact that all the summoner sects are going to want. I need you all to work with Zhou Gongjin to distract them and have them fight each other. Can I trust you to do this?”

All of Sun Ren’s bodyguards cupped their hands and bowed their heads.

“Yes, senior sister,” they said in unison.

“I hope to be back in less than a month. Please tell our sifu to prepare. He’s the only one I trust to be strong enough to deal with these summoner sects.”

“We will do as you say,” Ma Yunlu said.

Zhou Gongjin came back, laughing with the gate commander.

“Why does he look so much like a prince from a story?” Lu Na’s spirit asked.

Lu Na had to admit, her spirit was right. She cared little the first time she saw Zhou Gongjin, but there was a certain beauty to the man this time around.

The gate commander was dressed in full military gear with a leather cap. He had a big, bushy beard.

“Because you’re such a close friend, I’ll allow them to leave for five taels of silver each.” His voice was gruff. He leered at Lu Na, and all the other women gathered. “Of course, I’ll give a steep discount should any of you ladies wish to spend some time with me.”

Lu Na would rather die than do that.

“I don’t think you could handle us, gate commander,” Sun Ren said with a bow of her head. “Besides, my father, Sun Wentai, might have an issue if I were to agree.”

The gate commander glared at Sun Ren, but then he started laughing.

“Of course, of course. I was only kidding, anyway. I wouldn’t want to offend the Sun family, especially after their recent victory. Despite that, the cost to leave is the same, five taels a head.”

Sun Ren reached into her chest pocket and took out fifteen taels of silver. It was enough to feed a poor family for a year.

“Thank you, Young Miss Sun,” the gate commander said after taking the money. “If it’s only three of you, then we should hurry before the shift changes. My colleague isn’t as accommodating as I am.”

Lu Na bowed toward Zhou Gongjin and Sun Ren’s bodyguards.

“Thank you all for your help and kindness.”

“Of course. It is my pleasure in helping such an exquisite beauty,” Zhou Gongjin said. He bowed.

Lu Na followed Sun Ren and Hen Li out of the gate.

“Exquisite beauty. You hear that? Maybe you have a chance,” her spirit said.

Lu Na shook her head. The last thing she needed was to agree with her spirit, but it felt nice to hear that compliment. When the gate closed behind them, they were greeted with an oppressive darkness along a dirt road. This was another new adventure for Lu Na. She was both eager and worried. She’d never been outside of the city before without her family.

“Let’s go,” Sun Ren said.