Main Gangzhi was in a hurry, most would find it a tarnish on their honour to see a servant see them run, but he quickly turned corners, he had joyous news, and head to his mother.

“Master Ganzhi!” A person stopped him, the only person he would even bother slowing down for. Her spinel-shaped irises that stood in her carnelian-coloured eyes made her stand out to any man, she had short, dark hair, and her armour and shield had the silver-dark blue colours of the Main family. She was his Shield, Nayu. And she looked worried, what could possibly make the heir of the Mains move in such an urgent manner?

“Nayu! I’m back, and with the most joyous of news, where is Mother?” He continued running, she caught up with him, having to run alongside him to answer.

“My Lady was last seen conversing with a Minister.” Properly, she should have still used the name and title of the person, even if she said enough for Gangzhi to understand the situation.

“A minister, here?” He thought aloud.

“Forgive me, my Lord, I do not know more.”

A minister was a minister, he’d had to make sure his robes and hairpin were adjusted, and that he didn’t look out of breath, he would have to do all of that, if they didn’t run into his mother talking to the gentleman in the halls, it took a level of skill to not crash into his elders.

As soon as his feet stood firmly on the ground, he bowed his waist, Nayu bowed to one knee.

His mother was an older woman, though through a combination of her progress on the Path of Cultivation, and various cosmetic products older noblewoman used, it would not be possible to tell. She had a swan-like grace to her movements, and her robes were decorated with the very same bird.

The gentleman next to her also looked younger than his age, a distinguished man with a neatly trimmed beard, and a long ponytail, he had a sword on his belt, something that would only be tolerated in a direct family member, he looked maybe eight years older than Gangzhi, but except for one, all Ministers of the kingdom were over a century and a half old.

“My son, you’ve returned” The woman addressed him. Then she took a second look at him. “Is something the matter?”

Gangzhi steadied his breathing, and pressed his fists together. “I bring joyous news, though they can be delayed before the matters of Mother and the honourable Minister Inao”

The Minister spoke next: “If it isn’t the famous heir of the Main Family, worry not, little Gangzhi, your mother was simply escorting me out of your home, you may bring up the matter now, I shall go.” It would appear Gangzhi brought the Minister a great favour by giving him an excuse to leave earlier. The man simply turned towards a wall, stepped into it, and for a few seconds left a few bubbles of water refracting light behind him, Gangzhi didn’t understand how this was possible, it eclipsed his own understanding of the Forces.

He stood up. “Mother, I bring you joyous news.”

“I have come to understand that already.”

“I was accepted into the Luminous Cascades school as inner member, I am expected to take my belongings and return there within a month.” He said, smiling widely.

The woman narrowed her eyes slightly, it was the closest to a smile he had seen on her since Father died. It didn’t take a master in the art of seeing the minds of others to understand Nayu was rejoicing internally.

“You worked hard, I am proud of you, son.”

“I have to tell the others, where are they now?”

“I’m sorry, your sister is on a visit to your Uncle.”

That was to be expected, he didn’t exactly know the return date, and he was even delayed. Life wouldn’t work out for him to be able to tell everyone at the same time.

“Then, where is Kaixue?” He asked.

“Of course you would want to see that problem child, he should be studying poetry with the old master.”

“Thank you, Mother.”

He stood up, and began walking with a bit less urgency in his step. He arrived at the study room of his brother, but only saw the old master, Depai.

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“Oh, Master Gangzhi!” The old man greeted him.

“Depai, where is my brother?”

The old man looked for words. “Young Master Kaixue, it would appear he strayed from his regard for timeliness today.”

“He didn’t bother showing up, did he?” Gangzhi interpreted the old man’s words.

“I’m afraid not, Master Gangzhi.” Depai said solemnly.

“I’ll find him and tell him to not skip out on your wisdom, Depai.”

He turned back, Nayu was waiting for him outside the door.

“We need to find my brother.” He explained the situation, though he knew the girl understood the situation perfectly.

“The young Master mentioned going to the Northern Garden recently, but he might also be looking at the guards’ training grounds again.” Thank the heavens for her, those were among the last places he would look.

“Let’s split up then I will go to the garden, you to the training grounds.”

“Understood, my Lord.”

It took him almost ten minutes to get to the garden, the palace grounds were not that large, he just forgot the layout.

Nayu was right, Kaixue was there, he was walking on the small stone paths around the various flowers.

Among the three Main children, Kaixue resembled the father the most, dark red hair, long legs, his love of duck meat. He was also the person least likely to become a great warrior like their father, even his sister stood a greater chance at that, and that was simply because he was born blind. He had never seen light, or the dark for that matter. And since childhood he wore a blindfold so he would be spared of the people looking into this blank eyes. And so people would be spared of the sight of a blind cripple’s eyes.

“Kaixue!” He shouted.

The child turned from one of the camellia bushes. “You’re back.”

In one leap, Gangzhi flew over the various bushes and flowers, and landed directly in front of Kaixue.

“Kaixue, Depai told me you were skipping out on your studies.”

“Yes, that is what I told him to tell people, you return from a year’s worth of adventure and start telling me things I already know?” The child tilted his head.

Kaixue had a way of speaking that was completely innocent but also rude and insulting.

“What do you mean you told him?”

“We finished with poetry a month ago, but we are supposed to take a month longer.” Had a tired, annoyed voice.

“So instead of continuing to learn something new, you took a month-long holiday?” Gangzhi loved his brother, but sometimes his attitude was unbearable for the oldest sibling.

“There’s five hundred poems in there, and it’s not just about memorisation, it’s about understanding them, do you know how annoying people would become if it was known I finished all of it a month shorter.”

They’d be amazed, Gangzhi remembered staying all night rehearsing poetry so that Depai would allow him to get his swords lessons on the weekend.

”So you just wander around the palace?”

“You could say I’m still studying poetry, the flowers here have a lot to say.”

Gangzhi certainly didn’t have any recollection of talking plants being in his own garden.

“The flowers?”

“Well, the grass, yesterday it told me a poem.”

“Oh yeah, can I hear it?” Gangzhi didn’t understand this children’s game, but he played along for his brother’s sake.

“When the Wind blows North, we bend North

When the Wind blows South, we bend South

Human, you can see all our worth

In a Cow’s mouth.”

Gangzhi laughed, it was a combination of vulgarity and the pretentiousness of the old poems that got him

“I don’t think your syllables match in the verses, Kaixue.”

“The grass is still young, give it time.”

They stood there, Gangzhi scratched his head.

“I was accepted as an inner disciple in a school, the Luminous Cascades.”

“Were the trials hard?” Kaixue didn’t bother congratulating his brother, he knew he was always looking up to him.

“Yeah, super hard, but your brother perservered.”

“So you’ll leave again.” Kaixue lamented, or maybe he was too young to lament things, but he sounded sad.

“I’ll stay for three days, so I can make it back in time.”

“It took you a year to get there, but only a month to get back?”

“I was doing other things during the year.” He explained

“Laying fair maidens, and slaying dragons, I presume?” Kaixue smiled.

Gangzhi laughed once again: “How do you know what laying a maiden is?”

“I didn’t read only master Depai’s poetry.”

They laughed together, Kaixue always laughed so weakly.

“So, do you have to go there?”

“Why would I refuse? I’ll meet new friends there, get stronger, and it will make our family look great too, and after I graduate I will have a position in the army!”

“Will you be happy there?”

“I’d be happier here with you, Nayu, sister and Mother, but if I want this family to be safe and prosper, the best course of action is to take my belongings, and go to the school for a couple of years, and then I’ll protect you all like Father always did!” The last part almost sounded like an oath.

“Then I can wish you the best of luck.” So he couldn’t wish it before, strange?

They remained silent once more.

“Your belongings, so miss Nayu is going too, shame, I like her.” Kaixue broke the silence.

“Does she give you candy or something?” He tried to ignore the fact of how painfully Kaixue reminded him that Nayu was, in essence, property.

“She listens. Not like the servants, who hear, she listens.” It was a strange explanation.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be back soon, and who knows, one of those wise masters might have a way to let you see.”

“Sounds great… Brother, just keep yourself and her safe, I don’t care if you don’t come back stronger, I don’t want to lose a brother.” He hugged him, darker, wet spots formed on the white blindfold.

Gangzhi hugged him back. And calmed him down.

”It’s all fine, it’s going to be fine, wash the sadness away.” It was advice from their father, to ‘wash’ any sort of discomfort away, as you would do with mud sticking to your robes, rather than dwell on it.

Gangzhi then looked up at the blue skyes. “I still have to tell Father, I’ll see you around, little brother.”

He left.

Kaixue asked the camellias “Does it matter if he tells it to the air his Father breathed? The trees his Father planted? Why does he always talk to a bronze statue, or a granite gravestone, while one may look like Father, and the other may bear his name, but neither have anything of him in them?”