Aimless Ascension

Xiaolin was feeding the bulls when a guest came to their farmland. That didn't really happen often. Other than the builders, only the Shens came to a couple of times to check on her. However, the guest wasn't there for her this time around.

It was Sun Ziang in his white-clad robe, wearing that unapproachable prideful look. He informed her that he had a meeting planned with her master.

Xiaolin invited him into the newly decorated house. "Master is out in the mountains," she said and proceeded to prepare tea. "He should arrive soon."

The house was mostly empty, although her master was working on decoration. He hung those breathtaking paintings on the walls, although he planned to move them to the guest rooms on the first floor when they were prepared. Other than that, there were shelves full of books, mostly fiction, though there were a few related to cultivation as well.

One of the other shelves held her master's exploits. Some weird-looking sword without an actual blade. Her master had told her they were his failed attempt at Lightsaber, whatever that meant. Probably something of his world. There were a few trophies from different martial competitions, and ancient-looking amphoras on there too, and that was it.

Obviously, the painting was the most breathtaking and eye-catching thing in the room. So she wasn't surprised when she found the proud heir of the Sun clan creeping to inspect the wide landscape painting of the rising sun, "Golden Sun".

His expression went from mildly interested to completely dumbfounded in a matter of a few seconds. That certainly didn't go well with his persona, but the paintings were breathtaking.

"This is. . ." he muttered, completely awestruck. "This is an original work of Maya of the Dawn. Where did you master find this?"

Xiaolin picked her brows. Of course, the painting was breathtaking and something profound that she couldn't understand, but she didn't know why the noble scion was so worked up about it.

She was just about to say, her master stole it from her senior sister, but refrained. That would be very unbecoming of her, being his disciple.

"This is drawn by the Master's senior sister," she said instead.

"Maya of the Dawn is your master's senior sister?" Sun Ziang went dumbstruck again.

Xiaolin nodded. She wasn't certain what that "of the Dawn" part, but her master had informed her that his senior sister's name was Maya.

"Hmm," Sun Ziang hummed, considering. "What is he even doing here?"

"Growing wheat," a fresh voice informed as Gale flew in, Vale running behind him, barking his way. He had a tired expression on his face, though that shifted to the regular Gale as he entered the room. "Sorry, I'm a little late."

"This is. . ." Sun Ziang nodded and gestured towards the landscape picture on the wall. "Is it the truth what she said?"

Gale raised an eyebrow. "In case she said, I drew that, that's completely untrue. I can barely scribe half of that using all the tools, much less using it with a paintbrush."

"So Maya of the Dawn really is your senior sister?" Sun Ziang asked, just to be certain.

"Sure," Gale said. "She tried her best to prevent her fame from rising, but it seemed she failed thoroughly for it to be known even in Tianhui--the nation that wants to be cut off from the outside world."

"The Sun Clan just isn't associated with Tianhui," Sun Ziang informed. "Though I learned about the artist from my aunt. She was a huge appreciator of art."

"That healer aunt of yours?"

Sun Ziang nodded.

"Then get her to come quicker. Xiaolin is in much need of her," Gale said. "If she can do something about her, I might even consider selling "Golden Sun" to her."

"Really?" Sun Ziang asked, frowning. "Are you speaking the truth?"

Gale nodded. He would just consider it, and then decline, but the noble scion didn't need to know that for making the healer available in time.

"She would be delighted to learn this," Sun Ziang said, relieved.

'This guy is so naive,' Gale mused as Xiaolin served the tea to both of them. "So to the topic of our meeting. It's about the longread?"

Sun Ziang nodded. "And the person you mentioned would be helpful in my expedition."

Gale hummed. "I'll tell her to contact you at her convenience," he said. "Anyway, did you get all the parts?"

"Most of them, yes," Sun Ziang said as he dropped a bag full of time out of his dimensional bag.

Gale collected the bag and started inspecting the items. "As I feared, the clockwork is of the first generation," he muttered.

"Meaning?"

"It's for the huge-sized longread, not what you have seen in my house," Gale said, clicking his tongue. "But no worries. I have the blueprint. Master Shi Jun can make the latest version of it after a couple of tries. Thankfully, it doesn't cost much, just metal and effort."

Sun Ziang nodded in relief. "There are a couple of items missing, but the guild informed me they would get another supply early next week."

"I probably wouldn't need them if I put in more effort, and Shi Jun had time," Gale said.

"I don't mind waiting a week," Sun Ziang informed.

"That's good because I have some work to finish of my own," Gale said and considered, turning towards his disciple and back to the noble aristocrat again. "You'd return in a few hours, right?"

Getting a nod from Sun Ziang, Gale continued. "Can you take my disciple with you and drop her at the inn?" Gale requested. "I would have done so myself, but an unexpected issue required my attention urgently."

"Master, you aren't going?" Xiaolin chimed.

"I'll join you in a couple of days to take you back," Gale said. "You should ask Grandma to do the acupuncture therapy on you and look for a good maid before I join. Don't worry, Vale will be with you the whole time. That is, if Sun Ziang agrees to let you come with you."

Sun Ziang needed little time to consider. "Sure, I have no problem with it."

About an hour later, Gale sent his disciple and Vale with Sun Ziang. When their silhouette finally disappeared from his sight, he turned in a certain direction where a presence let him know of her position.

"Shadow her and Vale until I'm there," Gale told the shadowy figure.

Now that got out of the way, he had some noble bones to break.

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