You are no doubt wondering why are you are being punished. But you are not. Cultivation is not just meditation, violence, and rivalries. Those who fail to appreciate that we are also just people, just like the mortals, and that we need to participate. Those who do not will inevitably become victims of the cages they’ve built in their minds. – Senior Disciple Barun of the Gray Nights Sect to his junior disciples on bandit duty

* * *

“So, you’re going to fix the lantern by yourself?” Tenri asked as we walked through the market. He’d had a few choice words for me when I showed up to his office the morning after I went to the lighthouse, mostly cursing me for taking on such a mission alone. In the end, I was barely hurt. Just a simple scratch. I don’t know what he was so up in arms about.

“Well, Sai Lyn might murder anyone else who tries to enter,” I said. “Better it be me.”

“You know he killed an innocent family, right?”

I glared at him. His voice was calm, but he carefully studied me. In the end, I crossed my arms and walked ahead.

“I’m aware of his past, yes.”

“And you didn’t just dissipate him because…?”

“Because he deserves it? He had a reason for killing them. It might not be a good one, but it’s still a reason.” I lowered my head. “I have to respect him for at least having that reason. It’s more than I did.”

I bit my tongue as soon as I felt the slip of my tongue. Was it too much to hope that Tenri wouldn’t notice?

Yes, apparently, it is. He stared at me through narrowed eyes and furrowed eyebrows. I stubbornly refused to meet his gaze. He knew the stories around me. Surely, he knew my history and propensity for wiping entire nations off the map. Maybe, he’d even have the tact not to push the issue. It wasn’t exactly my proudest moments, even if it was among the most famous.

“So, how long do you think it’ll take to order new mirrors for the lantern?” I wondered, desperate for a change in subject. Sai Lyn and I had examined the lantern from every angle, and no matter how you sliced it, it would never be as bright as it needed to be without new mirrors. The former keeper had done a good job destroying them in his fit of passion, and there was little to be done.

“Accounting for travel time, probably several months,” Tenri said. I sighed. It was too much to hope that this issue would be resolved quickly. The capital wasn’t exactly close, and that kind of cargo was large and specially designed. It was reasonable, even if I didn’t like it.

“Alright, well, I’d like to settle his spirit before then.” I scratched the back of my head, trying to think. “I suppose maybe I could put the mirrors back into a passable state just enough to appease and dissipate him before too long.”

“Or I could help you fight him,” Tenri offered, but I shook my head.

“The town needs the lighthouse, even if it’s in less than optimal condition,” I said. “This resolves both problems. Just leave it to me. I’ll sort it out.” I could see Tenri’s hesitance. I knew full well that I was making the job harder than it needed to be by trying to appease Sai Lyn’s spirit, but I wanted to give the shade the respect deserving of his devotion in life. Besides…it gave me something to do that kept me out of Tenri’s way for a while.

“Fine, I’ll give you a small stipend for materials, and I’ll have Zumi draft an order for the new mirrors to go out with the next caravan to the capital,” the administrator said with a sigh. “Just try not to anger the shade. It’s already killed two people.”

“I’m no mortal. I’ll be fine.”

We parted ways at the docks. Tenri was geared up to set sail for the reef, and I took the opportunity to see him off. He finally had the time to take on the issue of the spirit crabs harassing fishermen on the waters and seemed eager to see the matter finished. Personally, I didn’t envy him that job in the slightest, but at least he could swim. Hopefully a fight underwater would be fine.

I wandered the town, trying to puzzle out how I might fix the shattered mirrors. I could probably reassemble the pieces given enough time. It would be like a giant jigsaw…with sharp edges…and a judgmental ghost liable to appear at any second. Still, it would be a decent half-way measure to get the lighthouse up and running sooner rather than later. The problem would be in finding a glue to hold the pieces together. Something that could stick to the glass shards and would hold up against the weather…at least for a few months.

“Hey Mister,” Xinya’s voice broke me out of my contemplation. I smiled and looked down and to my left…only to find she wasn’t there. Tiny footsteps, and suddenly she was on my right.

I grinned wide and turned slowly, giving the mortal child a chance to run back to my left. She giggled as she hid behind my sleeves. Without warning, I spun all the way around and knelt, poking her gently on the nose.

“Well, if it isn’t little miss trouble,” I greeted. “Play with any shades lately?”

She shook her head. “Dad doesn’t like it when I do, so I can’t sneak out while he’s home. I’ve never found her during the day.”

“She probably can’t come out in the sun,” I explained. “Shades don’t like the light.” Xinya frowned and thought very hard about the new information.

“I guess that makes sense,” she finally said. “I like the night more, too.”

“Me, too.”

“So, Whatcha doin’ today, Mister? Still looking for the lighthouse spirit?”

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

I shook my head. “Actually, today I’m looking for glue to fix the mirrors in the lighthouse. I don’t suppose you know of some?”

Xinya looked as if she might have an answer, but before she could speak, a shout from the dock drew our attention. A small crowd of fishermen and fishmongers had formed, eager to see what was going on. Xinya grabbed a hold of my hand and began dragging me towards the action.

“Take that back!” shouted one young man at the center of the crowd. Xinya pushed further in until we could finally see. Two men stood at the center, hackles raised and spitting fury at each other. Anyone with eyes could see they were inches away from attacking each other.

“Why should I? Everyone knows you’re barely grasping the bottom rung at the guild!” the bigger man was well-muscled, and his face reminded me somewhat of a bull in the way his nose took up most of his face.

“And who’s fault is that?” spat the other man. He was much more narrowly built, but I could see in the way he held himself that he was no slouch. As far as mortals went, he was probably fairly strong. However, his bulk would be his disadvantage in a fight with the bull-man.

“Your sniveling whimpers scare the fish away, you talentless pig!”

“You drive me out of the best parts of the reef, then you have the nerve to call me talentless!?”

I knelt down and whispered to Xinya. “I feel like there’s history here.” She nodded sadly.

“The big guy is Zhao Ming, and the little guy is Xi Qian,” she explained. “The Zhao family is known to bully other fishermen away from the prime spots. They’re such a big clan that no one messes with them unless they also have family to back them up. Which means small families like the Xi family and newer families like mine end up with bad waters and less fish.”

So, it was just a power struggle. I sighed. Was it just human nature to try and prey on the weak? I’d seen it so often from cultivators. One person pushes another around because they can.

“Doesn’t the Zhao family also run the apothecary?” I asked.

Xinya nodded again. “They’re not all bad. Zhao Jaili and her sister are really nice when I scrape my knees climbing trees, and they were super nice when I got lunar fever when I was little. It’s just the fishing families who are like that.”

Xi Qian took a swing at his opponent. His fist slammed into the bull-man’s nose, and I heard something crunch. I nodded my appreciation for the blow. It took a great deal of courage to strike someone with more power.

However, when Zhao Ming took his hand away from his face to see blood staining his fingers, his eyes filled with anger. He loomed tall over the smaller man, and I got a bad feeling.

“You worthless trash! You think you’re so great? You’re nothing. You come from nothing. You’ll always be nothing!”

“I’m worth more than you!”

“Oh yeah? Prove it. You want a good fishing spot? Go fish the Northern Reef.”

“Maybe I will!”

Several sharp gasps echoed through the crowd. Once again, I turned to the nine-year-old with me to translate.

“That’s the domain of the Tide Serpent,” she said gravely.

“I thought the Tide Serpent was defeated by your mother?” I whispered.

She didn’t answer. They’d said defeated, not destroyed. The Tide Serpent could still be around for all anyone knew, not to mention any lesser monsters under its command. I took a deep breath. This had just gotten dangerous. The challenge was suicide, but Xi Qian was young and hot-tempered enough to actually do it.

“Not that it would prove much, really,” Zhao Ming continued. “Everyone knows the Tide Serpent hasn’t been seen in nearly five years.”

Xi Qian couldn’t stand it anymore. He took another swing at the bigger man. This time, Zhao Ming slammed a heavy fist down on his shoulder. Xi Qian grimaced and tried to recover, but a heavy boot to his chest shoved him back and to the ground. He gasped three times before a scream bubbled up from his throat and he leapt back to his feet.

I stood and stepped into the circle. If these two mortals didn’t cut it out, someone was going to get hurt, and that someone was probably going to be Xi Qian. Until someone said something, he would keep getting the shorter and shorter straws until he couldn’t take any more.

Zhao Ming readied himself for the blow, rearing back to deliver one of his own. Neither man noticed in time that I’d stepped between them. I caught Xi Qian’s hand gently in my own and blocked Zhao Ming’s with a forearm. To me, they were as gentle as the breeze.

“Enough.” I declared.

“Who in the hell are you?!” Zhao Ming growled. I pinned him with a glare I’d perfected on quarrelling gangsters in the city that had once been my capital. He fell silent.

“It doesn’t matter who I am,” I answered. “What matters is that your challenge is potentially extremely dangerous. As one of those who would likely be sent to fight the Tide Serpent if it appeared, I’d really ask that you save Tenri and I the headache.”

“Wait…does that mean you’re…”

“Share your waters. It’s not worth a man’s life.” My gaze was calm as the gravity of my presence settled on the two men. Eventually, Zhao Ming twisted his face into a wicked sneer before the big man shoved his way into the crowd.

Soon, the crowd was gone, leaving Xinya, Xi Qian, and myself in the street alone. The younger man rubbed his sore shoulder.

“I could do it, you know,” he muttered.

“I have no doubt you could,” I said with a smile. “You have the look of a capable young man.” My smile faded. “But that decision would be a foolish one. Leave sleeping serpents lay, friend. If he bothers you further, let me know and I’ll see what can be done.”

He looked up at me. Then, he took a deep breath and seemed to calm down.

“Thank you for the assistance, Master Cultivator,” he said politely. Then, he bowed deeply and left. I wasn’t sure what he was going to do, whether he would choose to trust me or not. All I could do was hope that he didn’t do anything foolish. After all, I couldn’t swim. Any fight with the Tide Serpent would not end in my favor.

* * *

“I thought we agreed that the mirrors were beyond repair,” Sai Lyn muttered as I picked through the glass shards. We’d almost had to fight again when I’d first returned to the Lighthouse, carrying a pot of rice mortar. However, a few stern words had brought him back in line, and we’d ascended to the light room together.

Xinya had suggested the mortar, even if it was usually used as a tool for laying bricks. It was cheap to make, but sturdy enough to withstand the elements for a little while. So long as I was careful to keep the mortar off the reflective side of the shards, I was confident that I could make the mirrors half-way functional once again.

“We did, but it’ll be months before we can get them replaced,” I explained. “The order is already underway, but I thought we could try fixing them while we wait.”

“You must have a lot of free time on your hands,” the shade answered.

“You have no idea.”

I picked up the first shard which looked like it could fit along the bottom edge. I moved it along the bottom, trying to see where the edge lined up exactly. As soon as I found it, I grinned, dipped a finger in the sticky mortar and stuck the piece in place.

“See, it’s already coming together!”

I picked up the next piece. As I tried to maneuver it along the mirror’s edge, my hand slipped, and the sharp edge sliced through my finger. I yelped and sucked on the injury.

“Does the blood make the compound stronger?” asked Sai Lyn, sarcasm thick in his voice. I glared back at him.

It was going to be a long job…