Unintended Cultivator

The next week was a true test of Sen’s patience. While a few of the most severely injured water and fire cultivators needed a bit of additional attention, Sen spent most of his time trying to avoid people. He often went out on long trips into the valley that lasted for most of the day. They weren’t wasted trips. He put out a handful of fires and fully extinguished some smoldering coals that might have burst back into fire. He was also able to replace some of the ingredients and reagents he’d used up treating people. Although, the valley was so heavy in fire qi that he left behind a lot of plants and roots that he might otherwise have taken. It wasn’t that those fire-attributed plants and roots weren’t useful, they just weren’t useful for what he typically used them for. He’d only taken a small sampling of them to sell off later to other alchemists who could use them for pill creation.

As often as not, he’d just find some scenic spot and cultivate for a time in peace. His own natural affinity for fire qi made cultivating in the valley easy for him. Unlike when he’d been traveling by sea, there was enough of the other kinds of environmental qi in the area that he could keep things in the not-quite balance he maintained in his dantian. A few times, Chan Yu Ming invited herself along for these excursions. He could tell that she was intensely curious about what he was doing out away from the fire cultivators’ compound, and he was curious about her, so he didn’t object. Both of them were vaguely disappointed. If he wanted to discuss cultivation, she was happy to speak to him at length about water cultivation. When it came to herself and her past, though, Chan Yu Ming was very tight-lipped. All he managed to get out of her was a confirmation that her parents still lived and that she had several siblings. For her part, she seemed perplexed that he was spending his time gathering plants and cultivating. Sen wondered if she thought he was out there developing some new technique.

All of it was a stall, though. He could only avoid people and an awkward conversation he didn’t really want to have for so long. At the end of the week, the water cultivators were all healthy enough to travel and defend themselves at need. A small group of fire cultivators tasked with guarding the water cultivators watched from a distance while Sen went to see them off. Several of the healers in the group made a final attempt to convince him to become their teacher. The white-haired healer, Tong Yihan, had been particularly single-minded in her quest to become his student. He pushed off their insistent requests for an answer with vague statements about considering the matter in the fullness of time or equally cryptic words. It wasn’t that he was opposed to teaching, in principle. He just had doubts. He doubted his ability to teach the things he knew. So much of what he did relied on a kind of intuition and that wasn’t something he believed could be codified. He had doubts about staying anywhere long enough to provide instruction of any real value. To teach anything he considered useful, he’d likely have to commit to several months, and he hadn’t stayed anywhere for that long since leaving the mountain.

He shook those concerns off as he approached Chan Yu Ming. She, it seemed, had been left in charge of getting the last of the water cultivators home. He hung back as she issued orders. When the last of the small flock of cultivators had been set their tasks, she walked over to him and spoke in a quiet voice.

“Save me.”

“How could this mere wandering cultivator save the mighty Chan Yu Ming of the Clear Spring sect?”

“Kidnapping springs to mind as an option,” said Chan Yu Ming. “You could steal me away.”

“If I steal something, I usually keep it. Would you like me to keep you?”

The water cultivator’s cheeks went bright pink, but she looked him straight in the eye and said, “Yes.”

Sen had meant the comment as a teasing joke. So, her blunt answer left him flat-footed and blushing. An outcome that seemed to delight the woman.

“What?” he asked, feeling slightly annoyed and off-balance.

“You’re so self-possessed. I wondered if you even could be caught off guard.”

Sen rolled his eyes. “Everyone can be caught off guard if you come at them from the right angle.”

“I guess that’s true,” agreed Chan Yu Ming.

Sen openly eyed the woman up and down with considering eyes. She noticed and straightened up a little, her hands smoothing her robes and hair.

“So,” said Sen in a thoughtful tone, “about this this kidnapping. Should I just throw you over my shoulder and fly us away right now?”

Sen was amused to note that she actually seemed to think about it. Then, she shook her head with a disappointed sigh.

“It’s tempting. So tempting,” she said, giving a baleful look at the disorganized, bickering flock of water cultivators. “But someone has to get them back to the sect.”

“Fair enough. Duty before dubious pleasure.”

“There won’t be anything dubious about it,” said Chan Yu Ming.

“You never know. I might turn out to be a crushing disappointment.”

It was Chan Yu Ming’s turn to look him up and down. With a little twinkle in her eye, she said. “Somehow, I doubt it. You should visit the Clear Springs sect after you finish, well, whatever it was you came here to do.”

Sen frowned at the reminder of that awkward conversation he needed to have with Lo Meifeng. Chan Yu Ming caught the change in his demeanor.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“It’s not you. Really. It turns out that the reasons I thought I came here may not have been the real reasons.”

“Oh,” said Chan Yu Ming. “That’s never good.”

“Indeed. Still,” said Sen, deliberately changing the subject, “I’m not sure how welcome I’d be at the Clear Spring sect.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll deal with any complainers.”

Sen glanced at the woman but decided not to ask. “In that case, I expect I’ll be along before too long. I came here to learn some things, and I’d still like to make that happen. After that, though, I’d be happy to learn some useful things about water cultivation.”

“And kidnapping. Don’t forget about the kidnapping.”

Sen smiled. “And kidnapping.”

With an unhappy noise, Chan Yu Ming turned to Sen and offered him a bow. “I can’t put this off any longer or I’ll never get them moving. It was very interesting to meet you, Lu Sen.”

Sen returned the bow. “Travel safely, Chan Yu Ming. I expect you healthy and whole for your abduction.”

Giving him a big smile, Chan Yu Ming walked over to the water cultivators and started herding them toward the edge of the valley. Sen watched them for a time before his expression turned grim. He turned his eyes to the fire cultivator compound and all the things waiting for him there that he’d rather avoid. Much as he might want to, though, he couldn’t put it off forever. Can’t I, though, he thought. For a moment, he considered just leaving. Lo Meifeng was where she wanted to be. As far as he could tell, she was safe here now. He could just go. It would be nothing to catch up to Chan Yu Ming and her water cultivators. She would welcome him with open arms. It would be so much easier. Except, it wouldn’t be in the long run. Lo Meifeng would no doubt come chasing after him out of fear of Master Feng. And it was entirely possible Master Feng would show up here looking for him. While the elder cultivator would probably just be amused that Sen had moved on again, Sen had things he wanted to discuss with the man. Having spent some time in the world, he had a whole list of things he should have asked about but never did.

So, no, as tempting as simply walking out of the valley might be, it wasn’t a practical option. He could just keep avoiding Lo Meifeng and the compound. He had all the gear and food he needed to set up camp somewhere in the valley, but that wasn’t practical either. While it would spare him a lot of frustrations, it wouldn’t let him learn the things he’d come here to learn. If he wanted to learn, and he did want to learn, that meant spending time in the compound. It would also mean fending off all of the healers and alchemists. He supposed that was a price he’d just have to pay. If he let things stand as they were, though, it would also mean steering clear of Lo Meifeng all the time. It had been tedious avoiding her when he wasn’t in the compound all the time. It would be a constant chore if he was there full-time. Shaking his head, Sen accepted the inevitable. They just needed to have it out and be done with it. After that, they might part ways or they might not. It would depend a lot on how she answered his questions.

Resigned to the idea that getting what he wanted also meant doing things he didn’t want to do, Sen set off for the compound. The guards at the gate looked like they wanted to say something to him, but they ultimately just let him pass. They probably figured that bothering him was a good way to get some other, more unpleasant task than guard duty. He’d been assigned a room in the compound but hadn’t spent more than a few hours in it. He wasn’t even sure he could find his way back to it unassisted. That wasn’t his ultimate destination, though. He spent several hours asking around before someone was finally able to direct him to Lo Meifeng’s location. He found himself in a quiet little garden away from the main activity in the compound. Lo Meifeng was talking with a tall man. He didn’t even need an introduction to know it was her brother. The resemblance was very strong. If not for the difference and height and gender, they might have been twins. It was also clear that the conversation the siblings were having was a tense one. As soon as Lo Meifeng noticed Sen, she abruptly stopped talking. Her brother gave her a perplexed look before he noticed Sen.

Sen debated whether to approach, but it seemed that whatever conversation the two had been having was over for the moment. As he walked closer, both Lo Meifeng and her brother composed themselves. Sen inclined his head to Lo Meifeng, before offering her brother a bow.

“I am Lu Sen,” he offered by way of introduction.

The man seemed to debate what to do before he also bowed. “I am Lo Baihu. Please forgive my rudeness, but I have many duties that I must attend to.”

Sen recognized that the man was looking for a reason to leave. What Sen couldn’t figure out was if Lo Baihu wanted to get away from him or from Lo Meifeng. He nodded in understanding.

“Of course. I wouldn’t want to keep you from your duties.”

At that, the man quickly walked away. Lo Meifeng watched him leave and then let out a breath.

“You have terrible timing,” she complained.

“I gave you a week,” he said in a rigidly neutral tone.

Lo Meifeng winced a little at the tone and nodded. “You did. So, is it time for Judgment’s Gale to sit in judgment of me?”

Sen thought about how to answer for a long moment before he said, “Yes.”

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