I step out of the house, then sit down on the steps, putting my head in my hands. The image of the dead young man held up by the spear piercing his body is all I can see as I close my eyes, stopping all other thoughts.

I take my head out of my hands, staring into the slowly setting sun. The Matriarch’s home is near the top of the mountain, giving a beautiful view of the sect and the valleys around it.

Ten years. It.. it doesn’t sound too bad. Cultivators live long lives, I’m sure that someday it will seem like a drop in the bucket of my life.

It’ll be a long time before I’ll be able to see Sun and Lu Kun again.

The sound of Qiu Tai leaving the building makes me stand up and push my thoughts of the future to the back of my mind.

Qiu Tai gives me a tired smile as she walks past. I hurry to keep up with her.

“I’m glad to see you safe.” She says as we walk towards our home. “You had me worried when you sent me your letter. There are terrifying things that wait for you outside the protection of the sect.”

I think back to the Pirate captain I met on the seas and the very way that she controlled the seas. “Elder Qiu Tai, have you heard the title The Lady Of Flowers?”

Qiu Tai frowns in thought, “The name is familiar, but I can't place it.” She glances over to me, “Why do you ask?”

“A pirate name Xian Lu called my mother by that name.” I answer honestly, “I was wondering what it meant.”

“Xian Lu?” Qiu Tai asks in shock, she stares at me for a moment before smiling and shaking her head. “That woman is still pretending to be a pirate?”

“She’s not a pirate?” I ask in surprise.

“Well… it’s complicated.” Qiu Tai seems lost in thought for a moment before continuing. “But she said that she knew your mother?”

I nod.

“I’ll look into the Lady Of Flowers and tell you what I find.”

We arrive at the Elder’s home and she leads me around it to a secluded area in the back. Pots of dirt and an empty garden greet me.

She kneels next to one of the empty pots and motions for me to join her.

I kneel down next to her. Now that I’m closer, I notice that the pot isn’t actually empty, instead a small purple sprout is peeking out of the soil.

She hands me a cup and I look down to see water in it. I look back up to see her watching me with a soft smile.

“Death surrounds you, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t also bring life into this world.” She cups my hands in hers and guides me to poor water on the sprout. “The Alchemy Pavilion was kind enough to lend me many seeds. I would like you to cultivate this garden for me.”

I look down at the tiny sprout. What if I kill it?

Qiu Tai places her hand on my back. “I’ll come out with you every day for the first while to teach you how to care for the plants. Once you feel ready, I’ll leave you to care for them.”

` I nod, unable to look away from the tiny bit of life in front of me. The barest speck of spirit lies within it, just starting to expand with the sprout itself.

For the rest of the evening, Qiu Tai shows me how to plant the seeds of various herbs and flowers. She guides me through the relaxing process of moving the soil and watering with care.

We finish up as the last of the light finally leaves the sky.

Before we head to our rooms, I remember the letter I was supposed to hand to Qiu Tai from the Watchful Crows and pull it out from my storage.

“What is that?” Qiu Tai asks as I hand it over to her.

“The Watchful Crows asked me to deliver it to you.” I answer.

Qiu Tai turns it around in her hand, studying it carefully. She seems to notice something as the corners of her mouth twist into a slight frown. After a second of hesitation, she uses her qi like a knife to open the sealed letter.

She reads the note quietly, and I do my best to resist the urge to try to look at it myself.

Once she’s done, she folds the letter back up and places it into her robes.

“Who’s it from?” I ask, unable to hold back my curiosity.

Qiu Tai takes notice of me again, her gaze returning from some far off place. “My old teacher. It’s… good news.”

I hold myself back from asking more, even though curiosity fills me.

Qiu Tai seems to notice even with me holding back as she sighs. “I don’t understand it fully myself. Let me meditate on it and I’ll tell you more later.”

I nod, respecting her privacy.

We chat for a little longer before separating to head to our rooms.

I return to my room feeling peaceful. Shia leaves my robes to do her own thing, and I sleep restfully.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

***

A thump on my bed wakes me up groggily. I squint through my eyes to see a familiar wide grin and jumpy personality. Her spirit makes me relax as I attempt to return back to sleep.

“Nope! You gotta wake up sleepyhead!” Xia Jing leans over, shaking me slightly.

“Idontwanna” I mutter, turning away from her.

“And I was so happy to see you again, Jia.” Xia Jing lies down in front of me, pouting.

I open my eyes to see her staring directly into mine. “Mornings suck.” I say, placing my head into her chest and snuggling closer.

She puts her arm around me, patting my back. “I know, I know.” She says softly.

“Qi feels sluggish too.” I mumble into her chest “Clearly, mornings aren’t good for my cultivation.”

Xia Jing giggles. “Now don’t go spreading that around, some of the new disciples might actually believe you.” She slips away, taking her warmth with her and I fully open my eyes. She throws my robes on top of me. “Hurry up or we’ll miss Lai Ming at breakfast.”

I groan as I get up and start putting on my core disciple robes.

Xia Jing waits patiently, occasionally throwing glances my way as I dress.

I double check I have my flute and my sword, then follow Xia Jing as she leads me through the bustling sect. The atmosphere is tenser than when I was last here. Nearly every disciple carries a weapon on them and walks with purpose.

The sky is just starting to light up, our sect’s mornings starting earlier than mornings in the palace.

Still, the breakfast pavilion is filled with laughter as Xia Jing leads me inside. Lai Ming is immediately recognizable as she sits alone at one of the tables, her attention captured by a scroll she is reading.

Xia Jing sits down right next to Lai Ming, startling her as she hurriedly closes her scroll. Lai Ming turns to the other girl, clearly annoyed. She stops when she sees me, quickly rising from her seat to give me a hug.

I freeze at the public display, but hesitantly hug her back.

Lai Ming tsks her tongue as she pulls away. “Do you have any idea how worried I was? We didn’t know what happened! A body and lots of blood was all they found in your room and you don’t think to send anything telling us that you’re alright?” She stares at me with her familiar icy expression. Her spirit is like a snow storm, nearly overwhelming me with the cold and strange warmth that also comes from it.

“I’m sorry.” I answer, lowering my gaze.

Lai Ming huffs, then sighs. “I’m glad you’re safe.”

She guides me to the table and the food waiting for us there. Xia Jing had already started to dig in without us, enjoying her meal with glee.

Lai Ming and I join her, eating the meal provided. I can’t stop my gaze from rising and studying my two friends every couple of seconds.

Xia Jing notices my gaze, but doesn’t say anything, instead bringing up another topic, “What were you looking at when we came in?” She asks Lai Ming.

“A scroll Elder Wu gave me.” Lai Ming answers, “It’s a private technique of hers.”

Xia Jing tilts her head with a small smile, “How mysterious.” Xia Jing leans forward, a twinkle in her eyes. “It doesn’t have anything to do with…”

I close my eyes, enjoying the small talk as Lai Ming and Xia Jing continue to chat. It feels normal.

The rest of breakfast passes that way, with nothing unusual happening. I do feel a few stares directed at me from the other disciples, but they’re easy to ignore for the most part.

After breakfast, the two girls convince me to join them at the hotsprings for a soak. I enjoy my time with them before returning to Qiu Tai’s home and the garden. The sun is now fully visible in the sky, but the day is still cold.

Qiu Tai finds me as soon as I return. She leads me to the garden and has me water the seedlings and sprouts from the night before. She tells me the meanings of each plant, explaining their uses and the ways to take care of them so that they will grow healthy.

Caring for the plants is peaceful, and meditative in a way. Their spirit has a calming effect on my own, enhancing the effect of the gardening. The first sprout of the garden stands strong, its growth visible to the mortal eye.

We finish our gardening as the sun sits fully visible in the sky.

I return to my room feeling good for the first time in too many days. Shia isn’t visible, but I know that she isn’t too far away. As my cultivation increases, she roams farther and farther from me, but she is never too far.

Relaxing near my window, I pull out my flute and play a simple tune, the music flowing from me easily.

The music travels through the room, it’s music soft and fleeting. Soon it shifts into a river of music, flowing around me like the spirit of the Matriarch.

I enjoy the feeling of playing, reveling in how easy and beautiful it is. My music is something that can’t be taken from me, no matter what.

I let the song reach its natural end happily. I sit there once it’s over, my eyes closed. After a minute, I reopen my eyes, putting my flute back to my lips.

The Twelve Requiems Of Illusion opens in front of me, flipping to a familiar page as I play The Fifth Requiem: Peaceful Death.

The world shifts around me, fading into the familiar scene of Zhu Teng’s death, surrounded by his loving disciples.

“Hello again, successor of mine.” A familiar old man says from beside me, his gaze staying on his disciples.

I bow to him in greeting. “Senior, I apologize for how long it’s been.”

Zhu Teng waves his hand in dismissal. “Time is nothing to the remnants of spirit that I exist as.”

“I am glad to hear that.” I say, smiling slightly.

“What brings you to me this time?” He asks, his gaze moving away from his grieving disciple and onto me.

“I… am feeling powerless.” I glance down at my hands as I admit to my weakness. “I know that there is more to learn from The Twelve Requiems. I was hoping for your guidance, senior.”

“I see. A valid concern. Do not rush yourself, you are young and have more time than you realize. However…” Zhu Teng closes his eyes in thought. After a moment of silence, he opens his eyes. “There is much you have yet to learn, but I suggest you start at the Second and Fourth Requiems. My disciples may deign to grant you their techniques if they feel you worthy.”

I bow to the immortal, “Thank you senior.”

A hand pats my head with a surprising amount of fondness. “Power can be an illusion just like any other. Often it is more about perception than truth.”

With those words, the illusion dissipates, leaving me alone in my room.

I bring my flute back to my lips, The Twelve Requiems Of Illusion flipping through pages to one of the first requiems that started me on my journey.

I play The Second Requiem: Remembrance.