When Silas showed up, everyone was already there. All eight of the elders sat around the table and stared at Silas when he walked in. They were all older men, save the one woman who was a representative from a guild of women who ran tea houses around the empire. She was younger than the men and looked more like she was attending a high society function than a simple elder meeting. Her position on the council, like his, was complimentary because of her position.

Also, to Silas’s surprise, there was a ninth man in attendance. One that was younger than the rest, about the same age as Silas, if he had to guess. Short cropped hair was styled, so it was a little spikey. He wasn’t an elder, but the man was the magistrate to the capital of their region. Each village or town had one. Someone who was a go between the town and the capital. Unfortunately, they weren’t normally well liked, since they were also responsible for taking the taxes and taking it back to the capital.

“Magistrate Yu,” Silas said with a nod to the man as he took his seat. “Good to see you here.”

Magistrate Yu just smiled and nodded in return. The man looked impatient and ready to begin the meeting. He always seemed like he had more important places to be than wherever he was at the time. Maybe he did. What did Silas know about being a magistrate?

Silas leaned back in his chair and held back the groan. The Elders had been blathering for about an hour about nothing. He had to stay respectable though, and the old men and officials who were the town elders would look down on a cultivation master groaning in utter boredom. Silas wished they could sit at chairs instead of on the floor on the hard straw mats. He never understood the point of it. He looked at the other people in attendance.

There were eight people who were considered elders in the village. The head elder was known as the Nanushi, a term that came from the old language of the Empire and they held onto, for whatever reason. The Nanushi was an old man, probably old enough to be Silas’s grandfather, and he looked like an old wise man from the old stories. Long beard and eyebrows and white hair held in the upper's topknot class.

“What do you think, Silas?” the old man started Silas who was half asleep.

“What?”

The Nanushi frowned. The others around the table guffawed.

“About the Mother coming to our village with a warning?” It was a woman who answered. A woman who Silas actually kind of liked. This one was the one from the Tea House Guild, or whatever they called themselves. She too was younger than most of the Elders aside from him. She did still have strands of gray running through that dolled up jet black hair though. Ornate jewels and hair pieces worn to keep her hair up. She smiled and pierced Silas with bright green eyes as she looked at him.

After a moment, Silas shrugged. “What about it? Let her come and deliver her message and then she’ll go.”

“We’ve never had a Mother visit this village Silas, it’s a big deal,” Nanushi said.

Silas nodded his head. He remembered the last time he met a Mother, back when he was still just a boy. He remembered being nervous and the fit of rage his father had after she left after she delivered her message. Silas sighed. That was the beginning of his actual path in this life. That was how he ended up at the Sect of the Jade Mountains, instead of in the sect that his own father ran.

“Yes, so we’ll organize a village meeting and she’ll give us her message as a village. Then she’ll be along her way,” he said as he put his hands on the table. “Not sure what really needs to be discussed? I just walked Reiko through how to grow his core and should be there.”

They nodded their heads around the table approvingly.

“Hopefully, he’ll be able to be as strong as some of Master Yang’s students. It’s a blessing to have so many young cultivators in our village. It will help keep us safe and keep our position strong,” Nanushi said with a confident nod.

Silas strained a smile and nodded his head. “I have every confidence that Reiko will prove his worth in no time,” he said simply. He knew this wasn’t the audience to tell them Reiko could already probably beat Master Yang himself in a duel.

“Alright then,” Nanushi said. “Everyone get your attendants and spread the word. Village meeting tonight in the town hall just after sunset.” He then banged the gavel next to his seat on the table and stood.

The rest of the people around the table did as well as the meeting ended, and Silas just sat there. Well, shoot. His attendant was busy getting martial training and hopefully cultivating to fill his core. Silas frowned and then cocked a brow before he shook the thought away. Kio knew what she was doing. She would have had the boy cultivate.

By the time he was out of his own head, he looked around and everyone else had left the hall. Silas huffed and stood and finally made his way out. His first order of business would be to check on his apprentice and Kio and make sure everything was going well with his training and his new core. Then he’d have to do the things his apprentice was supposed to do.

He went back down by the water and saw Kio working Reiko through various stances and movements. Silas crossed his arms and grinned as his spirit reached out to probe Reiko. The boy’s core was sizable, and he felt the pale blue, almost white aura that was the wind aura that flowed through his apprentice’s body.

“He has decent training so far,” Kio said and brought Silas from his thoughts. She walked to stand next to him and they watched him go through a series of movements slowly but gradually grew in speed.

Silas looked over at Kio with his mouth hanging open in mock offense. The man even pressed his fingers to his chest. “Well, I have done this a time or two before,” he said, feigning defense.

Kio rolled her eyes and went back to watching Reiko before she shook her head. “Shut up, you know what I mean.” she stood with her hands on her hips and watched.

“You keep dropping your left elbow at the finish. Keep it up to keep the strength behind you,” she commanded him.

Reiko looked at her and then at Silas. He gasped since he didn’t realize his master had shown up and bowed towards him.

“Sorry master, I didn’t realize you walked up. Did the meeting go well?” He asked before looking at Kio and bowed lightly. “Yes Auntie, sorry.”

Silas returned a light bow to the boy in respect. “No worries Reiko. Listen to Kio for now and ignore me. I’m only stopping by for a minute to check on you. The meeting went alright. I have to go run errands you should do now.” Silas grinned.

Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

Reiko’s eyes went wide, and he straightened out his robes. “I’m sorry master, let me know what…”

“I don’t think so,” Kio interjected.

Silas laughed and waved his hands. “No, no Reiko. I’ll do it, it’s no bother you need to practice. I see you cultivated and filled your core first. That’s good,” he said with a nod of approval.

It was Kio’s turn to act offended, and she looked at Silas. “Well, it isn’t my first time doing this either,” she said and stressed the word ‘my’ as she held her own hand to her chest.

Silas gave her a sideways glance and laughed a little before he shook his head. “Yeah, yeah. Alright then, I’ll be off. Make sure you listen to Kio. I want a practice match later,” he said as he wandered away and went back up the side of the hill to the village proper.

The rest of the afternoon he spent going around and speaking to some households and letting them know of the village meeting. He had a small team of town guards that he met with as well. They were from the Clear Lake Monastery, which was a sect on a large tropical island just south of the Empire and helped various towns defend themselves.

The Clear Lake Monastery was a sect of cultivators that were more devout on the religious side of cultivation. They were peaceful, and wished to uphold peace in the lands, and they believed their path was held through enlightenment. The more they knew about the universe, themselves, and the world, the more likely it would be they could join the Heavens and become a Celestial. They were a group of well-meaning people who really just wanted to see everyone do well and prosper in the world.

Silas even founde Dango, the Dumpling Man, as he pushed his cart around the town. The old man was leaving the docks when Silas happened upon him.

“Oh, Master Silas! You found me just in time. I only have a few left today. The dock workers and sailors in the port nearly bought me out. I saved a half dozen because I knew, I just knew I’d happen to you!” The old man opened his mostly toothless mouth in a wide laugh.

Silas grinned and rubbed his belly. “What sort do you have?” He wasn’t really hungry yet, but if the old man saved them, especially for him. Well, Silas didn’t want to disappoint.

“Chicken,” Dango said with a confident nod. “I know you like the pork one’s better, but this was all I could save,” he said and shrugged softly.

Silas grinned and reached for his money. “No worries. Can you fry them up for me?”

The old man was already working. He lit the wok on the burner the man had and poured in a little oil. “Of course, of course,” he said as he worked.

Eventually, they went in different directions. Silas ate his dumplings and watched the old man practically skip away while he pushed his cart. Silas gave a chuckle and shook his head, imagining the man must be quite happy he could be done so early in the day. He was close enough to the docks so he could step out into the road and peer down the town and see them. An approving nod of his head when he saw all three of the docks the town had been occupied by rather large ships.

He stuffed another of the dumplings in his mouth and let the garlicky sauce explode in his mouth as he walked down and towards one of the guard outposts. He was sure everyone had already, or would be notified shortly. He just had to come up with a plan with his guards to make sure everyone stayed peaceful depending on the news this oracle brought.

The rest of the night was spent at home with his wife. They spent the evening in her personal garden, where he helped her move plants around. She had three flower beds in a basement they had that had a vast window on one side. Since the house was built into the side of the mountain, some of the basement was above ground and this let the plants get plenty of sunlight.

Eventually, Reiko and Kio paid a visit and Silas gave instructions for Reiko to do his nightly cultivation as he had been taught and then to meet at the foundry the next day. Reiko was expected to be there early and make sure everything was prepped and ready for them to work on whatever needed to be crafted for the day.

They mostly got through the next day as well, too. It wasn’t until a little after lunch while Silas was working on a sword when the junior assistant from the other day came into the foundry.

“Master Silas,” he interrupted the pair.

They were sitting at a large table and Silas was etching runes into the sword to make it fly. Of course a cultivator wanted a flying sword. Why wouldn’t he? Reiko watched and had tools ready to hand to him. Silas groaned and looked up once he finished with the rune he was working on. “...yes?”

The boy gave a shallow gulp. “The Elders sent me again Master Silas, I’m sorry,” he said with a boy.

Silas just stared expectantly at the boy and waited. It wasn’t until Reiko said something that the assistant finally spoke up.

“Oh, sorry. Uhh, the Nanushi found out the Mother was coming early and we’re expected to be ready in two hours. Then she will deliver the news she has. The assistants are to act as the town criers and let everyone in the village know. The Elders are to meet as soon as they are able,” he said with another bow.

Silas set his tools down and sighed. “Alright then. Thank you. Go along and deliver your messages,” Silas instructed the boy, who turned and left after yet another bow.

They both stood from the stools they sat on and Reiko followed his master to their little changing and cooling off room. Once they were changed and toweled off the sweat and had a quick cup of water, Reiko received his instructions. Run around and tell people, starting with his parents and then meet at the town hall.

Once Reiko was gone to do what he needed to do, Silas sighed and put his head in his hands. The last time he had this woman, he was cast from his house and forsaken by his father. What in the world could she be doing here now, and how would this woman ruin him further?

“You okay?”

It was Kio’s voice that brought him from his thoughts. He looked up and took in her form, and gave her a soft smile and a shrug. “I don’t know. It’s going to be weird seeing this woman again,” he mumbled before he looked back down into his hands.

He heard her move across the small room and then take a seat next to him. “Yeah, but, you know.. You’ve done pretty well for yourself,” she told him and put a hand on his shoulder.

Silas nodded in response. “Not if you asked my father,” he said meekly.

Kio snorted and rolled her eyes. “Your father…” she stopped before she could say anything else when Silas raised his hand.

“I know, Kio, I know,” he groaned. She didn’t have to say all the faults his father had. He knew them. The man didn’t care for family, not really. He had his trophy wife from the Northern lands, he had his position and prestige, and was able to talk himself out of looking bad for sending his son away to another sect.

“It’ll secure good relations,” he said whenever the topic was brought up. Of course, he didn’t tell anyone the oracle came and ruined any hopes the man had for his son.

What was worse for Silas was that, in the end, it did secure good relations with the Sect of the Jade Mountains. The sects all usually played nice with each other, but when the head of a sect sent his only son to learn and train at another sect, it was big news. Of course, The Jade Mountain sect took awhile to warm up to the idea. What if the prodigal son was just being sent to be a spy?

Silas shook his head. Cultivators. When he looked back on everything, he couldn’t believe how awful most of them really were. No. He sighed. They weren’t all terrible. Kio was good, and his wife obviously, and he tried to be good. Not that he really considered himself a cultivator anymore. He was, for all intents and purposes, retired. He was a simple arcanist now.

He stood up and got dressed in his robes and then the pair made their way out of the foundry and headed to the downtown area of the village where the village hall was. Kio stayed silent and let Silas sit in the thoughts in his own head. He appreciated it. They had been friends long enough to know what she would say, and she had nothing good to say about his father. Not that Silas did either, looking back.

By the time the pair picked up Hikari and the now trio went to the town hall, it was buzzing with activity. Apparently, the apprentices ran and got the notices out quickly and had everyone gathered. The room was standing room only and Silas gawked at how quickly everyone came together. Dango and his wife were even there in the middle of the crowd sans dumpling cart.

The Town Hall was everything you’d expect a town hall to be. Long, simple room with long benches along either side. Some windows and some simple decorations since the town wasn’t particularly large, or rich, even though it was a port town. In the room's front, was a long table with chairs for the elders. The other elders were already seated with Nanushi in the middle seat.

Silas caught the glare from the old man and gave a nervous smile before he walked up and took his seat.