A brush glides masterfully across a white canvas, weaving and winding with the morning breeze, leaving behind a trail of black along its path. To the right of the canvas, a pool ink rests tranquil, reflecting the eyes of the man holding the brush. To its left, a porcelain tea set and a gourd. Light steam wisps from the tea set, drifting through the brisk air with a sweet aroma.
As the brush completes its final stroke, the pair of eyes mirrored in the inkwell squint into sharp blades. The pupils snap towards the right corner, trailing downwards before resetting towards the top of the canvas, repeating as they make their way towards the left side.
Having reviewed the contents of the canvas, the man sets the brush beside the inkwell. He unrolls his sleeve, allowing them to fall towards his wrists, swaying as he reaches for the teacup. Taking a sip, he realizes that the once steaming cup had lost most of its heat through the course of the morning. Nevertheless, he silently continues taking sips, pausing occasionally to appreciate the sweet taste and nutty undertone.
Along the edge of the pavilion, a pair of female attendants kneel quietly, keeping their gazes towards the pavilion floor. Two men mirror them, occasionally lifting their sleeves to wipe the sweat from their foreheads.
“I smell Longjing tea.” A voice, accompanied by a gust of wind, calls out from behind.
Upon hearing the voice, the man quickly sets the tea cup on the long table before him before turning around.
“Junior Zhi greets Grandmaster Yi!” He cups his hands, bowing deeply towards the venerable Ghost Doctor.
“At ease, child. Why don’t you pour this old soul a cup? Gyohohoho!” Grandmaster Yi chuckles as he steps into the pavilion. “A soothing cup of Longjing does wonders for the aching soul.”
As Grandmaster Yi makes his way around the table, Chancellor Zhi signals for the two female attendants. The ladies rise to their feet, keeping their gazes low as they await instructions.
“You’re dismissed.” He commands, lifting the teapot from the table.
The attendants bow before trotting away, keeping their gazes glued to their feet as they exit the courtyard.
“Grandmaster Yi, forgive me for prying…” Chancellor Zhi pauses, waiting for the attendants to fully exit the courtyard. Upon their complete departure, he continues. “It’s been over a week since the incident. What of the students? And…”
“Relax, child. Everything I’ve told you during our last meeting is all there is to know.” Grandmaster Yi smiles as he recalls the long night following the long night. “They’ll return when they’re ready.”
Chancellor Zhi nods, dropping the thought of including that man within his plans. He sets the teapot back on the table before sliding the teacup towards Grandmaster Yi. With steady hands, Grandmaster Yi lifts the cup to his mouth and takes a sip as he scans through the contents of the upside-down scroll before him.
“What are you planning, child?”
“May I speak freely, Grandmaster?” Chancellor Zhi’s eyes suddenly sharpen into a sharp gaze as he sets the teapot back down. He pushes the teacup towards Grandmaster Yi, pausing as he awaits an answer. Grandmaster Yi chuckles, waving to signal for the Chancellor to drop the honorifics. “With the information currently a-”
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“This brat! Bah!” Another voice interrupts the tranquil morning. Chancellor Zhi’s palms blurs onto the top of the scroll, holding it down as a gust of wind sweeps through the pavilion. “Talking business without me?! Boy, you’ve grown some balls...”
Chancellor Zhi rises to his feet and turns towards the owner of the voice. He kneels, bowing towards the elderly man before him.
“Disciple Zhi greets Master!” Chancellor Zhi exclaims. “Disciple apologizes for disrespe-”
“About time! Bahahahaha!” Grandmaster Liu’s crackling laughter cuts his words short. Chancellor Zhi, lifts his gaze in response to the sudden shift in atmosphere. As the hearty laughter fills the courtyard, Chancellor Zhi stares blankly at Grandmaster Liu, unsure how he should be reacting. “Relax! Young Chancellor, how do you poop with such a tight ass?”
Grandmaster Yi hides his chuckle with the teacup, hesitating to take a sip just in case his old friend says more. Grandmaster Liu steps past Chancellor Zhi, immediately drawn to the gourd resting beside the teapot. His hand blurs, swiping the gourd from the table and flicking away the wooden peg sealing it.
“Bahahahaha! Alright boy, as you were then.” Grandmaster Liu guffaws before taking a swig from the gourd. Though his fixation on the liquor shows disinterest, his eyes said otherwise. Scanning across the scroll, he raises a brow. “Hmmm? A convention?”
“About that…” Chancellor Zhi pauses as he turns towards the two men kneeling by the edge of the pavilion. “Min, Jian, introduce yourselves.”
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About a day’s worth of riding south of the New Hope City, a head-turning carriage makes its way along a stone-lined road towards the grand capital. On each side of the carriage, two blue curtains flutter lightly in response to the morning breeze. Early birds stop and stare as the luxurious carriage passes by, noting the emblem decorating the curtains.
Inside the carriage, an elderly man grumbles as he gazes out through the ever-shifting space between the curtains. His sharp white brows slant towards the center of his face, bridged across his nose with deep wrinkles. A multitude of scar tissues decorate his hands and fingers, tapping erratically against his knee.
A lady of similar age sits across from him, hiding the lower half of her face behind the newspaper in her hands. Her dark hair is held up in an intricate series of braids and buns. Gold pins and clips decorate the carefully done hair, holding it firmly in place. Blue jades, masterfully carved into a series of swords, hang from the ends of the pins, swaying side to side in response to the slightly bumpy ride.
By the carriage sides, two female attendants sit with their knees and feet touching. They keep their gazes low, making sure to only show their presence when commanded.
The lady lifts her eyes from the paper as she turns the page. Seeing the erratic motion of the man’s finger, she smiles before setting her eyes back on the paper. As her eyes flutter across the page, the smile on her face slowly fades. She drops the paper, revealing the tense frown on her face, and knocks against the carriage interior. Almost immediately, the small window behind her slides open.
“Yes, Lady Song?” The coachman’s voice passes through the small window.
“Change of plans.” Her serious tone snaps the man sitting across from her out of his daze. “Set course for the Viridian Valley.”
“As you com-”
“Nonsense!” The man in the carriage suddenly snaps, cutting the coachman off. “Continue to the Academy! I have business to settle with that useless Mo!”
“That’s why you want to go?” Lady Song glares at the man before her. “Not to check on your granddaughter?”
“Well- that too…” His voice trails off as he grumbles indignantly. “But still! What kind of Headmaster allows something like th-”
“Honey.” Lady Song’s serious tone cuts him off. “Mo gave us his word that Xihan is fine. We need to head towards the Viridian Valley. Now.”
She presses her long thumbnail against the page, sliding across the paper to mark a certain spot before handing it to the attendant beside her. The attendant receives the paper with both hands, trotting across the carriage to hand it to the man. Upon receiving the paper, he flips it open to the marked spot. Reading the words before him, his eyes grow wide with disbelief.
“I thought it was just a rumor…” He mumbles, slowly lifting his gaze towards Lady Song. After a short moment of staring silently across the carriage at one another, the man snaps his eyes towards the small window. “Make way to the Viridian Valley.”