27.1: The Virtuous Lotus of Yuhang

The interior of my private flying boat was an oasis of silent, opulent tranquility, a world removed from the wind-whipped clouds we sliced through with the effortless grace of a divine bird. Where the family's main air transports were like grand, sturdy, and somewhat ponderous barges – built primarily for cargo capacity – this… well, this was pure luxury.

I’ve had the boat “renovated” – through belief farmed from conversations with Big Sis Yue and Feng the Restored – to be faster, safer, and more luxurious than ever before.

The exterior walls now featured a silvery finish with liberally-applied, embedded talismans capable of reflecting Mid-Grade level attacks (I could, of course, have made even better defenses with my talisman skills – but, alas, I simply lacked the time to do so for the moment).

The interior was now paneled with dark, lustrous spirit woods whose grain shimmered with faint, silvery light under the illumination of the enchanted pearls in the ceiling. The seating was upholstered in the supple, charcoal-grey leather of Mid-Foundation-Establishment spirit beasts, pleasantly cool and impossibly smooth to the touch.

The air hummed with a quiet, powerful energy perceptible only to spirit cultivators – a resonant thrum that vibrated deep in one's core.

The vessel operated in a near total silence, the soundless sanctity broken only by the faintest whisper from the core moving formations and the occasional delicate clink of the fine porcelain teacups.

At the helm, out of sight in the cockpit, sat Lian Hua, the rather sharp, intellectually curious serving girl who had the… unfortunate experience in my kitchen at the hands of the Dog Captain on the night I returned from the Auction. After she decided to stay on the staff -- and made a pleasant impression on Ruolan -- I’d had her re-trained as a pilot. It seemed a better use of her time, with better career prospects – and it freed Ruolan to attend to me here in the main cabin, where she belonged.

While Hua was still an apprentice at flight operations, and some of the ship’s higher functions (such as the spirit sense interface) were only available to cultivators, keeping the vessel pointed in the right direction was still easy enough, even for a mortal like her – and either Ruolan or myself could step in later for the landing.

Ruolan sat near me, her posture as immaculate as ever, but a subtle vibrancy radiated from her that hadn't been there weeks ago, a hum of contained power that was almost visible in the air around her. The constant supply of top-tier Qi Gathering Pills I had provided had worked wonders: her aura was potent, thrumming like a drawn bowstring on the very cusp of a breakthrough to the Seventh Stage of Qi Gathering. Her skin positively glowed with health, and her eyes, once merely diligent, now held a new depth to them. A new confidence.

I was sure that, given a few more days of consolidation, she would be able to cross the threshold.

Across from us, City Lord Zhang Wei was attempting – and failing – to look dignified while being mercilessly teased by Big Sis Yue.

"Honestly, Your Lordship," Yue said, a wicked glint in her dark eyes as she leaned back, the picture of casual grace, her hand resting near the hilt of the black spear that leaned against her seat.

"You look entirely too comfortable for a man on 'vital official business.' One might think you were enjoying a well-deserved vacation, far from the dreary paperwork of your office!"

Her tone was light and flirty, a playful dance of words that seemed customary for interactions with Lord Zhang these days.

Zhang Wei puffed up his chest, his round face blushing with a deeper shade of crimson.

"A vacation, Lady Jiang Yue? I'll have you know that City Lords don’t simply take vacations. This is a mission of paramount importance to the future prosperity of my city! … Of our city!"

- he corrected hastily, his politician's instincts kicking in.

"I am not merely delivering the taxes personally—a gesture of diligence in itself, I might add, which His Excellency the Governor will surely note. No, I intend to have a long, detailed discussion with him! I will make the case that, while Qingshan’s lands are famously barren, one cannot find what one does not seek. To that end, I will argue,"

-- he leaned forward conspiratorially, his voice dropping to a low, important rumble –

"that, as Young Master Jiang Li here is the only person in the entire province 'mad enough,' so to speak, to invest staggering sums into further, deep-earth exploration, he -- and the Jiang clan -- should be granted the exclusive, officially sanctioned prospecting rights for any and all spiritual resources that might be uncovered.”

He leaned back with a wide, satisfied grin on his face.

“My friend, I am quite sure that the prospecting and mining permits won’t be an issue – not given your family’s reputation. And, once you have those permits, they will protect our interests from any outside vultures. With my help, we can legitimize the entire Cavern operation before a single discovery is ever made public! A masterstroke of foresight, if I do say so myself!"

He sat back, looking immensely pleased with his own 'cunning'.

To be fair, it was indeed a solid plan, a clever piece of political maneuvering that laid the legal groundwork for the future -- but it was one that, undoubtedly, would have succeeded even without his direct intervention.

Still, I would much rather rely on my new friend, Lord Zhang -- a known quantity with proven loyalties -- than take my chances with the gatekeeping, self-important, middle-management bureaucrats of Yuhang City without his assistance. I gave a slight nod of approval… but my gaze was distant, my thoughts already elsewhere, drifting back to a far more pivotal conversation from the day before.

…

A communication talisman had shimmered to life in my hand, its light pulsing softly. Imperial Factor Sun’s voice, strained and reedy as ever, had crackled through it, tight with a nervous energy that was almost palpable.

“Young Master Jiang… Her Imperial Highness, Princess Xueyue… has directed me to arrange a private meeting after the formal banquet at the Governor's Mansion, two days from now.”

“Excellent,” I had replied, my tone deliberately casual, as if discussing the weather.

“…Please inform Her Highness that not only have I secured every item on the list of rare materials we discussed, but I have also – taking a slight liberty – used a portion of that bounty to compound some finished products. Please inform Her Highness that I have concocted, and currently have in my possession, several batches of potent alchemical pills: some to serve as potential breakthrough catalysts, others specifically designed to calm the mind and help prevent cultivation deviation during critical junctures. All of them are top-grade pills, of course -- essentially free of impurities. Oh…"

I'd added, as if it were an afterthought,

"and Her Highness may be interested to know that I have also managed to... whip up… a personal sample vial of what I shall call Jiang’s Dew – an elixir capable of permanently enhancing a Frost Attributed Foundation Establishment cultivator's spiritual root quality by around one to two percent.”

The silence on the other end had been profound, a vacuum of stunned disbelief broken only by a sound like a sputtering, choking gasp.

I could almost picture the old Factor, his confused face red as a tomato, his mind reeling.

An elixir that could permanently improve a cultivator’s very aptitude, even by a single percentage point? Such things were treasures that could start wars between minor sects, priceless commodities that could alter the destiny of a clan. Such items were invariably hoarded by aristocratic families, or auctioned for astronomical sums that could buy a small city. Alchemical recipes for such elixirs could not be purchased at all – for any sum of spirit stones.

To speak of "whipping up" something like that was not just audacious.

It was practically sacrilege.

“Young… Young Master…” Sun had finally stammered, his voice trembling.

“Your claims are… extraordinary. One must not… make light of such matters…”

He didn't dare finish the sentence of course. He didn't dare to openly accuse me of lying. The penalty for making a false accusation in a transaction involving royalty was undoubtedly a severe one – if, possibly, not quite as severe as the penalty for attempted fraud upon a Royal.

Death.

For oneself and – possibly – for one's entire family line as well, a punishment that could erase generations in a single, bloody stroke.

I’d twisted the knife, just a little, my voice cool and pleasant.

“Oh, but I assure you, esteemed Factor Sun, I would never jest about such grave matters! Everyone is well aware of the penalties for attempting to deceive the Imperial Family! Rest assured, I have all of the items on hand, just as described. Please inform Her Highness that I look forward to presenting my humble offerings to Her in person.”

…

The remote belief generated in the wake of that particular conversation had been spectacular… though, sadly, the Princess still didn’t seem to believe in the transcendent nature of my alchemy talents, likely thinking that I had a master of some sort who performed the work for me. I would have to find a way to persuade her otherwise...

My attention returned to the present, to the gentle hum of the flying boat.

I looked over at Ruolan, who was gazing thoughtfully out the crystal window at the endless, churning sea of clouds below. It occurred to me, with a sudden, piercing clarity, that for all her constant presence and unwavering loyalty, I knew almost nothing of her life beyond the walls of the Jiang estate, nothing of the heart that beat beneath the disciplined facade of the perfect servant.

"Ruolan," I said, my voice cutting softly through her reverie. "Tell me about your family."

She started, visibly surprised, her head snapping around to face me. A faint blush, the color of a dawn sky, rose on her cheeks.

"Master? There… there isn't much to tell, really. We are a humble family."

"Please. indulge me," I said, my tone gentle but firm, an invitation that was also a command.

"Of course, Master. Though… I am not sure if I can tell you much that you do not already know."

She straightened, composing herself, her hands folded neatly in her lap.

"My family name is Lin. We have served your Jiang family for four generations now, since before your esteemed father became the head of the family. Our main estate is outside the Yuhang City walls, where we cultivate herbs. We…”

She paused, seemingly gathering her thoughts.

“…we have had some success with martial-grade herbs, more than enough to maintain the estate and our modest house in the city. But our true ambition, our dream for generations, has always been to cultivate spirit herbs.”

A shadow crossed her face, a familiar, ingrained pain that dimmed the light in her eyes.

“But this land… the Qi itself… is hostile. We call it the 'Frontier's Breath.' It poisons the soil for delicate spiritual plants, twisting their roots and souring their energy. My father has tried for decades now… my brother, Lin Jie, he… his cultivation is stalled at the first stage of Qi Condensation. He is already seventeen – quite old by cultivator standards, as you well know Master. Few sects would accept him with such poor progress -- and, even if he got into one, he could only hope for an Outer Disciple spot that wouldn't provide much in the way of cultivation resources. The volatile nature of the ambient Qi in this region makes progress almost impossible for those with modest talent like his. It is like... trying to swim up a waterfall.”

She sighed, a soft, melancholic sound that seemed to hold the weight of her entire family's struggle.

"And my younger sister, Lin Mei… she has no spiritual root at all. She is a mortal, doomed to die young. Her children will likely be mortals too."

Her gaze grew distant, her voice becoming wistful, filled with a profound tenderness.

“I miss them all so much. Especially Mei. She used to follow me around everywhere in the gardens, her hands always covered in dirt. Since I was assigned to follow you to Qingshan two years ago, Master, I have not had the chance to see or speak to any of them. Not once.”

Her words, so full of simple, honest longing, struck a chord with me. I looked out the window. We were making excellent time. The political games in Yuhang, the banquet, the meeting with the Princess—none of that would begin until the day after tomorrow.

"Hua," I called out, my voice clear and decisive. The piloting cabin door slid open a crack. "Yes, Master?"

"Ruolan and I will come up and talk you through adjusting course and landing when we get to Yuhang City. We will be heading for the Lin family estate."

Ruolan's head snapped towards me, her eyes wide with shock, then filled with a glistening, disbelieving gratitude that was more eloquent than any words could ever be.